Broken Inside
by Glissoning Raven
Summary: Alex waits for a chance to get revenge on MI6. Hunter searches for her family's killers. When fate brings them together, they realize they both have a lot to gain by working together. Then an untold truth about Alex's past comes to light...
1. Trailer

Broken Inside: Trailer

**He searches for a chance to get revenge on MI6…**

"_They screwed up my life. I never wanted to be a spy."_

**She searches for her family's killers…**

_"They took away my family and everything I held dear. Now they must pay with their lives."_

**When fate brings them together…**

"_Alex Rider. It is a pleasure to meet you at last."_

"_Hunter?"_

"_The one and the same."_

**They realize they both have a lot to gain by working together…**

_"You have been trying to get away from MI6 for the past two years. Now is your chance. You might never get a chance like this again."_

**Then an untold truth about his past comes to light…**

_"Alex, Scorpia didn't kill your father."_

_"If they didn't, then who did?"_

**One that he should have been told long ago…**

_"They were right. MI6 lied to me."_

**One that will only further full his desire for revenge against MI6…**

_"They lied to me about my father. They will pay dearly for this."_

**His search for the truth begins…**

_"I have to find out what really happened to them."_

**Her search for her parent's killers continues…**

_"I will find them, or die trying."_

**Together, they become a force to be reckoned with…**

_"We are much stronger together than we are alone. When we work together, no one can stop us."_

**BROKEN INSIDE**


	2. The Stranger and the Mission

A/N: I would like to thank Emmy-loo and darklightningdevil for their encouraging reviews. hugs

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Chapter 1: The Stranger and the Mission

_"And tonight we have some breaking news. Last night, someone broke into an apartment complex on South Main Street. Mr. Jacob Anderson, his wife, Delia, and two daughters, Tara, age six, and Lana, age two, were killed. Police say they were shot in their beds as they slept. What puzzles police is the fact that the killer didn't take anything, even though there were several things of some value in plain sight. They say it's probably just a random killing spree, but..." _The TV flicked off, leaving the room in almost total darkness.

The only light came from a small window with tattered blue curtains drawn across it. A shadowy figure rose silently from the couch in front of the old, battered TV and made its way over to the window. It carefully drew back the curtain and stood to one side so as not to be seen. The window overlooked a dimly lit ally lined with old green dumpsters, rusty garbage cans, and piles of black plastic trash bags. Rain pattered against the dirty window pain and splashed onto the old, cracked pavement below. A lone street lamp provided a minimal amount of light in the dark ally, adding to the depressing atmosphere.

The stranger's gaze swept the ally, looking for any sign of human life. Seeing none, it pulled the curtains closed and made it's way across the dimly lit room to a closet in the corner. It silently opened the closet and pulled out a black, leather case. The stranger opened the case and pulled out two handguns and a wide blade knife. After concealing the guns under its sweatshirt and shoving the knife into its right boot, it closed the case and shoved it back into the closet. It then rose and made its way silently towards the door where it stopped to listen for any signs of life on the other side. Hearing nothing, the figure stepped cautiously into a long, empty hallway that was only slightly better lit than the room from which the stranger had come from.

Faded red carpet ran the length of the hall. The paint on the walls was cracked and peeling and looked like it had at one time been white. Bare light bulbs hung from the ceiling where golden chandeliers once hung. A few old paintings hung crookedly on the walls, most of them so damaged by water that you almost couldn't tell what the picture was supposed to be. A thick layer of dust and grime covered everything. Over all, it had the look of something that had once been a five star hotel but was now almost totally abandoned.

The dim light of the hallway revealed a person dressed in tattered jeans, a loose black hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and a pair of brown combat boots. There was no sign of the weapons that they had hidden on themselves. The stranger made his down the hall to the once grand staircase and then down two floors to a dimly lit lobby that was exactly like the upstairs hallway except it was bigger and it had a rustic looking reception desk that, like the rest of the place, had seen better days. Across from the desk was also a set of old glass doors that were grimy and had a piece of cardboard over one of the pains that had been broken, but never fixed.

Ignoring the ragged young woman behind the desk, the stranger walked briskly out the front door and disappeared down the street.

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After leaving the hotel, the hooded stranger ducked into the ally that ran along the side of the building. The stranger didn't seem to notice the rain that was pouring down around him as he pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed a number. After a few seconds, a voice on the other end picked up. The stranger said only three words.

"It is done." With that, he hung up and disappeared into the darkness.

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Alex Rider sat in a bleak, white office across from a middle-aged woman and a bleak looking middle-aged man. They were none other than our very favorite director and assistant director of MI6, Alan Blunt and Tulip Jones. **(A/N: I'm sorry. I just had to say that.) **Blunt handed Alex a file, which Alex curiously opened. The first page showed a picture of man that looked to be in his mid thirties. He had strait brown hair and piercing green eyes. He looked well kept, though not overly so. The name under the photo said Jacob Anderson. Alex recognized the man from the news. He had been shot the night before along with the rest of his family in an apartment complex on South Main Street. Alex looked up at Blunt.

"What about him?" He asked. Blunt leaned forward slightly.

"As you may have heard on the news, Mr. Anderson and his family were shot last night in their apartment as they slept." Said Blunt, his eyes betraying no emotion as he spoke. Alex nodded.

"The police said it was probably just a random shooting spree." Provided Alex. Blunt raised his eyebrows a fraction and nodded. " But you don't think it is?" Asked Alex. Blunt shook his head. Mrs. Jones spoke.

"Mr. Anderson was one of our main informants against a terrorist group called the Black Circle. We found a piece of paper in the Anderson's apartment with a plain black circle on it, the symbol of the Black Circle group. It sure looks like they are behind this." Alex sighed.

"So what does that have to do with me?" He asked.

"We want you to get into the Black Circle. Find out if they are behind it. The Black Circle is recruiting young people your age to be trained as assassins, so you don't have to worry about standing out. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning at six for Peru, where the head quarters of the Black Circle group are." Blunt handed Alex a thick file. "Here is your cover identity. Read over for tomorrow. You may go down to Smithers before you leave." Alex nodded, he knew he was dismissed. He got to his feet and left without another word. He knew it was no use arguing over it. He sighed, this mission was beginning to remind him a lot of the Scorpia mission, but then again, things hadn't even gotten started.

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I know, it's short. But I'll try to make the chapters longer once the story starts to pick up. Please R&R and tell me how you like it! You know you want to!


	3. Uniforms and Letters

Hey people

**A/N: I am so sorry for the delay. I will try my best to update more often. Once again, I apologize for the delay. I don't know if any of you noticed, but I have changed the genre. I did so because I changed the plot slightly. Well, actually I more changed the ending, but that's beside the point.**

**Cat 2 - Thanks. I'm glad you like it.**

**crazy-gal-in-blue - lol. I'll try. **

**Vampassassin - I'm glad you like it. **

**And I would like to specially thank my anonymous reviewer SkyRider and my other reviewer, BellaBooTwilight. The sunglasses, and all of the ideas for guns I got from SkyRider. (there is only one gun mentioned in this chapter but there will be others mentioned in other chapters) hugs The ipod was a combination of SkyRider's idea and BellaBooTwilight's idea. They both gave me the idea of bringing back a gadget or so from his previous missions (a.k.a. the zit cream, a slightly modified version of the survival belt, and the "Bubble-07" chewing gum). The only one I made up myself is the watch. I'd also like to thank SkyRider for the names of the songs on Alex's ipod. I don't know what I would do without SkyRider.**

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Chapter 2: Uniforms and Letters

Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was on a cramped private plane flying from the town of Iquitos, Peru to the Black Circle's headquarters, twenty-five miles northeast of the small town of Yurimaguas. A tall dark haired man dressed in desert-camouflaged pants, tight fitting white T-shirt, and tan combat boots accompanied him. He sat silently across from Alex. The white shirt stood out against his sun-tanned skin. He hadn't said a word since they had boarded the plane.

Alex was dressed in jeans, a red T-shirt, and a pair of blue and white sneakers. At his feet was an old, black backpack that contained a change of clothes, a pair of sunglasses that have night vision, and a communication devise, an ipod that explodes when you select the song A Bid Farewell, turns into a listening devise when you select the song Fade to Black, turns into a bug scanner when you select the song In The End, and turns into a fax machine and photo copier when you select the song Mad Russian Christmas (you can listen to the other songs without it doing anything), a tube of zit-cream that erodes metal (like the one from his Stormbreaker mission), a pack of "Bubble-07" chewing gum (like the one from his Skeleton Key mission) that when it is chewed, it expands and shatters nearly any substance, a survival kit belt that the buckle conceals a knife (A/N: It's not quite like the one from his Snakehead mission because Smithers had time to improve it and make it so a regular knife wouldn't show up on a security scan.), and if you break the belt open you'll find a survival kit (consisting of matches, medicine, water-purifying tablets and knockout pills specialized in snakes (just like the one from his Snakehead mission), and a Glock 7 that was undetectable by metal detectors and was concealed in the padded fake bottom of his back pack. He also had a digital watch that he wore on his wrist that turned into a smoke bomb if you pushed the little button that was hidden on the back. It has a five second delay on it and once you press the button, it counts down the time on the clock. Smithers had snuck him the gun without MI6 knowing and had given him strict instructions to only use it as a last resort.

Alex sighed and sat back in his seat. He had spent all of his spare time memorizing the contents of the file MI6 had given him. His cover name was Alex Manes. (A/N: I haven't come up with the details of his cover identity yet. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.) He was glad MI6 had let him use his really first name. It would make things a lot easier for him. He looked at his watch (yes, it tells time, even if it is a smoke bomb). They should be landing any minute.

Sure enough, a minute later the pilot can over the intercom and said that they would be landing soon and that they should fasten their seat belts. Both Alex and the dark haired man across from him did as they were told and fastened their seatbelts. Almost immediately, the plane began to descend.

Three minutes later found them exiting the plane. Alex followed the dark haired man down the stairs of the plane and onto the cracked pavement of the runway. Looking around, Alex saw that they were on the out skirts of a heavily guarded facility. There were several long, low stone buildings that were the barracks. There was a slightly smaller stone building that housed the officers; an even smaller stone building that contained the showers, and a two story stone building that was where the head of the terrorist group lived. There was also a large wooden building that was the mess hall, a mile oval track, several storage sheds, a shooting range, and of course, the runway. A ten-foot security fence topped with strands of barbed wire surrounded it all and the only gate was heavily guarded and there were most likely security cameras hidden everywhere.

The dark haired man led Alex across the facility to the two-story stone building. When they entered, they found themselves in a large office-like room. A gray haired man sat behind a large mahogany desk. He was dressed much like the dark haired man, though his skin wasn't as tanned, as if he spent most of his time inside out of the sun. He looked up as they entered, his piercing blue eyes taking them in. The dark haired man stood at attention as the gray haired man looked them over.

"I see you have brought our new recruit." He said. His voice sent shivers up Alex's spine. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about this man made his skin crawl. But Alex made sure he didn't let his uneasy show. He met the gray haired man's gaze levelly.

"I am so glad you could join us. I am Samuel Kent, head of the Black Circle group." Kent smiled a cold smile that did not reach his eyes. "As I am sure you already know, you are here to receive training so that you may eventually become part of the Black Circle group. You will train here at our head quarters for as long as it takes you to complete our training program. Once you have passed all of the tests, you will be able to officially join the Black Circle group. It takes some longer than others to complete the program, but I am sure that you will have no problem completing it. Do you have any questions?" He asked. Alex shook his head silently. Kent once again smiled him fake, cold smile that sent shivers down Alex's spine. "Excellent!" Said Kent. "Now if you would just follow Sergeant Malloy," He gestured to the dark haired man. "He will take you to your quarters." Alex nodded. The dark haired man, Sergeant Malloy, led Alex out of Kent's office and across the open space to one of the long, low stone buildings. They entered the building and found themselves in a long, dimly lit carpeted hallway. Rows of wooden doors lined either side of the hall. Each door was numbered. Sergeant Malloy stopped in front of the room numbered 106. He took a key out of his pocket and fit in the lock. The door opened smoothly.

"This will be your room." He said. It was the first time he had spoken since he had met Alex at the airport. "You will find two uniforms on your bed along with a canteen that you can carry with you during the day so you will not get dehydrated. You can fill the canteen in the mess hall at diner. You are expected to take care of both of the uniforms. The wash is done only once a week. You are expected to be up and in the mess hall by six every morning. Lessons will start promptly at six thirty. Tardiness will be punished severely." Alex nodded silently. Sergeant Malloy tossed him the key to the door to his room. "Dinner will be in the mess hall in three quarters of an hour." With that, he left.

Alex entered the room and closed the door. The room was small and simply furnished. There was a small window opposite the door. There was a bed in one corner and a dresser in another. There was a hook on the wall by the door. The floor was plain wood with no carpet and the walls were plain white. Neatly folded on his bed were two uniforms and a canteen, just like Sergeant Malloy had said. Each uniform consisted of a pair of desert camouflage pants, a tight fitting white T-shirt, and a pair of tan combat boots.

Alex took one of the uniforms and put it in the second drawer of the dresser. He set the boots that went with it on the floor beside the dresser. He then went over to his backpack and took out his extra change of clothes. He put those in the second drawer of the dresser as well. He put his ipod, sunglasses, zit cream, pack of "Bubble-07" chewing gum, and survival belt in the top drawer, and hung his backpack and canteen on the hook by the door. He then changed into the uniform he had left out.

Once he was finished, he looked at his watch. He still had a half an hour. He took out his ipod and flopped down on his bed. He selected the song -- and pretended to listen to music, while he was really scanning the room for bugs. He found none. He was exhausted from his long flight from England. Exploring could wait. For now he would just relax until dinner, because he had this feeling that he wasn't going to get a chance like this any time in the near future.

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A hooded stranger walked silently down South Main Street despite the rain that poured down around him. He wore a pair of tattered jeans, a loose black hooded sweatshirt with its hood pulled up and a pair of brown combat boots. (A/N: Seem familiar? If not then you might want to refresh your memory and look back at chapter one.) His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets and he kept his head down. After about half a block, the stranger slipped silently into a deserted alley. He made his way silently along the alley, making several turns. He finally came to a dead end. He reached behind several trashcans and pulled out a black bag. The stranger looked around to make sure that no one was watching. He then pulled off his sweatshirt, revealing the fact that _he_ was actually a _she_. In place of the hooded stranger stood a teenaged girl with shoulder length dark brown hair and piercing green eyes dressed in tattered jeans, combat boots, and a white T-shirt. She then pulled from the bag a red hooded sweatshirt that she put on in place of the black one she'd been wearing. She then stuffed the black sweatshirt into the bag and slung it over her shoulder. She then made her way back the way she had come.

By the time she got out to the street, her shoulder length hair was soaked. But she didn't seem to mind. She hailed a cab and gave the driver an address in down town.

Ten minutes later the cab pulled up in front of a post office. She paid the driver and got out of the cab. She pulled a pair of leather gloves out of her bag and put them on. She then casually walked over to the drop box (A/N: I think that's what it's called. Please correct me if I'm wrong.) and took a letter out of one of the outside pockets of her bag and dropped it in. That done, she pulled up her hood and disappeared around the corner.

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A/N: You will find out what that letter was in the next chapter. Thank you for taking the time to read this. All I ask is that you take one minute to press that pretty little button down below and tell me what you think of it…you know you want to.


	4. Letter Bombs and Midnight Excursions

SkyRider – I can't thank you enough for your help with this story

A/N: This chapter will finally have some action in it. The story will start to pick up more from here on out.

I would like to thank all of my faithful reviewers.

SkyRider – I can't thank you enough for your help with this story. And yes, Alex will use the M110. If it weren't for you, Alex and Hunter would have all their cool weapons. (You won't find out which ones I picked for whom yet. Well, you will find out a few, but not all of them. If you weren't an anonymous reviewer I would send you the list of who got what weapons. But that's kind of difficult seeing as you're anonymous. All well, such is life.) Thanks again for all your help! I don't know what I'd do without you! hugs

Vampassassin – Thank you. I'm glad you like it. Here's the next chapter.

Cat 2 – Thank you for the input. I'll try to keep that in mind.

Crazy-gal-in-blue – Hey! I am not ditching school! (For all you readers out there, we are best friends outside of fanfics, she's also my unofficial beta reader, so I can yell at her all I want.) runs away laughing as crazy-gal-in-blue starts throwing things at Raven

Now, onto the story…

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Chapter 3: Letter Bombs and Midnight Excursions

Michel Henderson sorted through the mail on his desk. It was the usual assortment of bills, advertisements, and other odds and ends. It was the plain white envelope at the bottom of the pile with no return address on it that caught his eye. He carefully opened it, curious as to what was what inside it. That was a big mistake. It was, in fact, the last mistake he would ever make. The whole thing exploded, killing him instantly. What he had failed to notice when he had examined it, was the small, plain, black circle printed neatly on the back in the top left corner of the envelope…

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Andrea McLain sat on one of the benches in the airport terminal waiting for her flight. She had shoulder length dark brown hair and piercing green eyes dressed in tattered jeans, combat boots, and a red hooded sweatshirt. **(Doesn't she seem familiar.) **She had been there for almost an hour and a half. Her flight had been delayed. She should have been flying over the Atlantic Ocean on her way to Iquitos, Peru by now. Instead she was stuck in the crowded airport terminal. She looked at her watch. Her plain should be landing any minute. As if on cue, she heard her flight announced. She slung her bag over her shoulder and wove her way through the crowds towards the loading gate.Twenty minutes later found her on the plane in the first class section flying over London, England. She pulled an ipod out of her bag. She put in the earphones, turned it on, and lay back in her seat. Luckily she had gotten a window seat. She stared out the window. A sly smile crossed her face. She had just finished her latest assignment. Now she was headed back to the head quarters to collect her money and finish some last minute business. This was another job well done. By the time MI6 connected all of the killings, she and the money would be long gone and the Black Circle would be no more.

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Mrs. Jones walked into Alan Blunt's office. Blunt looked up from the file he had been going through. Mrs. Jones didn't even bother with a greeting.

"We had another murder." She said, handing Blunt the file in her hand. "Michel Henderson, age 46. Another Black Circle informant. It was obviously a murder. He was killed by a letter bomb. It blew him to pieces." Blunt opened the file. On the first page was a picture of a man. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. His skin was slightly tan. Under the picture was printed the name Michel Henderson. Blunt's expression showed no emotion.

"I take it he has no family?" He asked. Mrs. Jones shook her head.

"His wife died three years ago. He has no kids. The letter bomb was sent to his office." Blunt nodded distractedly.

"Any word from Alex?" He asked.

"No. None so far." Blunt nodded.

"Alright. Tell me as soon as we get word from him." Mrs. Jones nodded and left.

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Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

Three bullets slammed into its target dead center in quick succession. Alex steadied the Beretta M9 that he held as he once again aimed at the paper, human shaped target in front of him.

Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

Three more shots slammed into the target dead center. Alex lowered the gun and looked at his watch. It was 7:47 in the evening. Alex had exactly thirteen minutes until he had to be at the mess hall for dinner. He turned on the safety on the Beretta M9 had been using and placed it back where he had gotten it at the beginning of the practice session. That done, he left the shooting range and headed across the compound towards the showers.

After taking a quick shower, he jogged back to his room. He changed into his spare uniform and shoved the one he had been wearing into the second drawer of the dresser. He glanced at his watch. It was 7:58. He had two minutes to get to the mess hall for dinner. He exited the room, locking the door behind him. After pocketing the key, he made his way down the corridor and across the compound to the mess hall. He arrived with a minute to spare.

He got in line to get his food. He picked up a plastic tray from the stack sitting on the table and a set of utensils from the bin beside it. When he reached the serving table, he was handed a plate of food and a paper cup containing coffee. The food consisted of mashed potatoes, two slices of ham, green beans, and a roll. It wasn't the best food he had tasted, but it was edible. He took his tray and found a seat at one of the four long tables that took up most of the room. He ate his meal in silence along with the rest of the trainees. No one said a word all through out dinner.

Once he had finished eating, he took his empty tray up to the kitchen window along with his plate where one of the kitchen staff took it and placed it on a stack of trays waiting to be washed. He threw his empty cup in the trashcan. That done, Alex made his way out of the mess hall and back to his room.

Alex entered his room and locked the door behind him. He was planning to do a bit of exploring later that night, and he needed to get some rest before then. He went through his evening routine of checking his room for bugs using his ipod. As expected, he found none. He then went over to the dresser and opened the second drawer. It contained his other uniform and his extra set of clothes. He pulled out the extra set of clothes. It consisted of black cargo pants and a black T-shirt. He exchanged the uniform he was wearing for the cargo pants and T-shirt. He put his uniform in the second drawer. After making sure the door was locked, he lay down on the bed and let himself drift off to sleep.

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It was exactly three and a half hours later when Alex awoke. He sat up and looked at his watch. It was 12:00 midnight. Perfect. He let his eyes adjust to the dim light before making his way over to the dresser. He silently opened the top drawer. He pulled out his zit cream, his "Bubble-07" chewing gum, his sunglasses, ipod, and his survival belt. He put on the belt and put the zit cream and chewing gum in his pocket along with the sunglasses and the ipod. As he made his way towards the door, his gaze rested on his backpack hanging on the hook by the door. He paused a moment, deciding whether or not to take the Glock 7 that was hidden in the secret compartment in the bottom of the bag. Finally, he decided to take the gun. He probably wouldn't use it, but he'd rather be safe than sorry. He quietly took the bag off the hook and opened the compartment. He carefully took out the Glock 7 and slipped it into his other pocket. He then closed the compartment and placed the bag back on the hook.

After making sure he had everything he needed, he slipped silently out the door, locking it behind him. He didn't need his night vision sunglasses yet. The corridor was dimly lit, but it was still enough light to see. After letting his eyes adjust to the dim light, he set off down the corridor, being careful to be as silent as possible and keep to the shadows. When he reached the door that led outside, he found it unlocked. He listened for any sign of life on the other side. Hearing nothing, he carefully opened it a crack. There was no one around. But there was a light right above the door. He silently swore to himself. Just his luck. Now he'd have to find another way out because he could risk going out this way and being seen. Then he remembered his bedroom window. It was small, and it might be a tight fit, but he thought he could probably fit. Though was a light not too far away, but he had a better chance of slipping out unseen that way than the door. Mentally cursing the person who designed the place, Alex made his way silently back to his room, once again making sure he kept to the shadows.

Once in his room, he made sure the door was locked before proceeding. He made his way over to the window. The window opened relatively easily. After checking to make sure the coast was clear, he slipped silently out the window. It wasn't quite as tight of fit as he had thought it would be. He thanked his lucky stars for that one small blessing.

Once he was out, he closed the window carefully. He froze when he heard footsteps approaching. He sank back into the shadows. It was one of the guards. He looked like he was patrolling the grounds. Alex didn't dare breath for fear of being found out. The guard moved past where Alex crouched in the shadows. He didn't even pause.

When the guard was a safe distance away, Alex let out a sigh of relief. He couldn't afford to get caught at this stage of the mission. He had to be more careful. Slowly, Alex rose to his feet. He took his sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on. He switched on the night vision using a small, finger print sensitive button on the right side. He could now see everything around him. He looked around him. He was on the east side of the compound. Near by were the two other barracks and the officer's quarters. But they were of no interest to Alex. Across from him on the west side of the compound were the shooting range and storage sheds. To his right on the north side of the compound was the runway, gate, and guard tower. In the center of the compound was the mile oval track. None of these interested him. It was the building on the south side of the compound that interested Alex. Across the compound from the runway was the two story stone building that housed the head of the Black Circle group. It was where the records were probably kept. It was the most likely place to find the information he needed. It was also probably the most heavily guarded building in the compound. He sighed. He just wanted to get this over with and get back to England and to his life.

Alex shook himself from his thoughts. It was no use wishing he were somewhere else. He had to concentrate on the mission. The faster he got it done, the faster he could get on with his life. _Concentrate damn it! _He mentally scolded himself. He turned his mind to the task at hand.

After taking stock of his surroundings, Alex began to make his way towards the south end of the compound. He made sure that he stayed in the shadows so as to avoid being seen. He kept as close to the building as possible. After about ten yards, he came to the end of the building. After making sure the coast was clear, he darted across the seven-foot gap that separated the building from the next one. He continued in this fashion until he came to the end of the last of the three buildings that served as barracks. The only thing that separated him from his target, the two-story stone building that was Samuel Kent's head quarters, was about fifteen yards of open space. Now he had to figure out a way to cross the open space without being seen.

He carefully studied his surroundings. He saw nothing that would aid him in crossing the open space unseen. His only other option was to keep close to the fence and hope that he wasn't seen. It wasn't the best plan, but it was better than running across the open space with no cover, where as the fence would hopefully provide him with enough cover to make it to the building safely. He took a deep breath. He was on the opposite side of the building from the fence. So he quietly made his way back along the side of the building and slipped around the end to the other side. He then made his way along the side of the building back towards the south end. Once there, he looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Once he made sure that it was, he darted across the ten-foot gap between him and the fence. Once he made it to the fence, he carefully made his way along it. After he went about fifteen yards along the fence, he found himself directly across from the large two-story stone building. Now all he had to do was find a way in.

He studied the building before him. A soldier much like the one who had brought Alex to the head quarters guarded the front door. He saw that the soldier held a Heckler & Koch HK 11 machine gun in his hands. He assumed that he probably had several other guns and probably a knife or so on him. That eliminated the front door as an entrance option. He silently followed the fence around the back of the building. There was a back door that was also guarded. Though the guard looked substantially younger and wasn't as well armed as the one in the front, not to mention the fact that he was dozing at his post. He was probably one of the older recruits or one of the ones that had just finished the training program. Alex smiled to himself. Getting him out of the way shouldn't be too difficult. He made his way back around the fence until he reached the side of the building. After making sure the coast was clear, he darted across the open space between the fence and the house.

Once he had reached the building, he made his way along the side towards the back. He carefully peered around the corner. The guard at the back door was still dozing. He carefully made his way towards the guard, making sure he made a little sound as humanly possible. When he reached the guard, he paused. The guard didn't stir. Alex carefully clamped a hand over the man's mouth so as to prevent him from making any noise and brought the side of his hand down on the back of his neck. The guard let out a barely audible moan and went limp in Alex's arms. Alex searched the man's pockets until he found what he was looking for, a key ring containing several keys. He then carefully positioned the guard so he was leaning up against the wall. I looked for all the world like he was just fallen asleep at his post.

Alex stood up and turned his attention to the door. It wasn't a fancy wooden door like the front. It was made of metal. It looked way out of place on the two-story stone house. He tried the handle. As expected, it was locked. He took the ring of keys he had gotten from the guard and tried them one by one. He got it on his third try. The door swung open silently. Alex replaced the keys in the guard's pocket where he had gotten them and stepped cautiously threw the door. He found himself in a large storage room. He carefully closed the door. Thanks to his night vision sunglasses, he could see the stacks of wooden crates that filled the room. He briefly wondered why Samuel Kent had them stored here rather than in the storage sheds, but he quickly pushed the thought from his mind and turned his concentration to the task at hand. Ignoring the crates, he made his way around them, weaving threw the giant maze of boxes until he reached the other side of the room. There he found another metal door. Alex crouched by the door and listened for any signs of life on the other side. He couldn't hear anything, but he needed to be sure. So he pulled out his ipod and selected the song Fade to Black, which would turn it into a listening devise. He then pressed the devise against the door. Once again, he heard nothing. After switching off the ipod, he returned it to his pocket. He carefully tried the handle. This time, it wasn't locked. He carefully opened the door. He found himself in Samuel Kent's office. He took a close look at his surroundings.

The door he had come through came out behind a large mahogany desk. At the desk was a comfy looking black office chair where he had been sitting when Alex had first seen him. The walls of the room were plain white and the floor was covered in a dark blue carpet. The front door stood directly across from the door he that led to the storage room. He noticed that the door to the storage room blended in with the wall. The only picture in the room was a large picture on the door to the storage room. It was a picture of a man that looked much like an older version of Samuel Kent. Just below the picture, on the bottom part of the frame, was a small, brass nameplate that said 'Joseph Kent: Founder of the Black Circle'. Alex assumed that Joseph Kent was Samuel Kent's father.

Alex turned his attention from the painting and focused on the desk. The top was very neat. There was a jar containing several pens and pencils, a stapler, a desk lamp, a small plastic container of paper clips, and neatly in the center was several file folders. Alex carefully went through the folders. They only contained financial information for the Black Circle group and other things that were of no importance. He closed the folders and placed back exactly as they had been, careful not to disturb anything else. He then opened the center drawer of the desk. This too contained nothing of any great importance. He then moved on to the top right hand drawer. Like the center drawer, it contained nothing worthwhile, as did the middle and bottom right hand drawers, and the top left hand drawer.

It was the middle left hand drawer that he struck gold. Among other files of no real importance, he found a file labeled 'Informants'. Inside were pictures of several different people. There was also information on the families of the people. There were about seven total, not including their families. Most of them had the word 'Deceased' stamped across the picture. It was the fifth photo that caught Alex's eye. It was the picture of Jacob Anderson. It had the word 'Deceased' printed across it in bold, red, letters. He quickly took out his ipod and selected the song 'Mad Russian Christmas', which turns it into a photocopier and scanner. He held down the play button and moved the devise over each of the pages. The ipod would scan the documents and send them to the MI6 head quarters. The sixth photo also had the word 'Deceased' stamped across it. This one was of a man named Michel Henderson. Alex's heart sank. The Black Circle had already killed someone else. The last photo was the only one that didn't have 'Deceased' stamped across it. This gave Alex a little bit of hope. He quickly scanned the last picture and turned off the ipod. He carefully closed the file and returned it to the drawer. He was about to close the drawer when another file caught his eye. The label on it said 'Operation Bloodbath'. He was just reaching for the file when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He quickly closed the drawer. His eyes darted around the room, looking for a place to hide. His gaze came to rest on the partially open storage room door. He heart pounding, he made his way over to it and slipped through, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. The door had just closed behind him when the footsteps entered the office. He heard the voice of Samuel Kent. He was muttering something to himself Alex could barely make out the words.

"I could have sworn I heard something down here." Alex silently cursed Kent and his good hearing. The footsteps came closer to the door. Alex began to panic. He scooted away from the door, looking around for some place to hide. His eyes fell on a near by stack of crates. The door slowly began to swing open. A beam of light came through the partially open door, partially illuminating the storage room. Alex dived behind the stack of crates and held his breath, hoping with all his heart that he wouldn't get found out…

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A/N: Well folks, there you have it. I put a lot of work into this chapter, so I expect at least six reviews. Thank you for reading! Have a nice week!


	5. Transmissions

A/N: This chapter will be shorter than the last one

A/N: This chapter will be shorter than the last one. There won't be much action in it either. But some of your questions will be answered. This chapter will also focus a little more on Andrea (Hunter). You will get a little glimpse of her past.

Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thank you. I'm glad you like it. Here is the next chapter.

Crazy-gal-in-blue – rolls eyes I will.

**AleksandryaGregonovitch – Thank you so much for your help. Yes, I hate it when other authors do cliffies too…but I love torturing my readers with them. Mwhahahahaha!**

**Cat 2 – Thank you. I'm glad you like it. **

**SheWeapon1 – I will answer at least one of those questions in this chapter. **

**Oceanspray – Thank you, I guess. What exactly do you mean by 'a little off the mark'?**

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Last chapter…

_A beam of light came through the partially open door, partially illuminating the storage room. Alex dived behind the stack of crates and held his breath, hoping with all his heart that he wouldn't get found out…_

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Chapter 4: Transmissions

Alex crouched behind the stack of crates. His heart was pounding as the door opened. He held his breath. Kent flicked on the light, fully illuminating the room. Alex just prayed he wouldn't find him. Kent's eyes swept the room. For a moment, he looked strait at Alex's hiding place. Alex's breath caught in his throat. But Kent looked away. After surveying the room one more time, Kent flicked off the lights and closed the door. Alex could hear the faint sound of his footsteps as he made his way back up stairs. Alex slowly let out his breath. He was safe…for now. But he knew he might not be so lucky next time.

Alex slowly eased himself out of his hiding place. He quietly made his way towards the back of the building. He had to get out of there before the guard woke up. When he reached the back door, he stopped and listened for any sign of movement on the other side. There was nothing. He carefully eased open the door. The guard was right where Alex had left him. Alex took the keys from the guard's pocket and locked the door behind him. He returned the keys to the guard's pocket and slipped off into the night.

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When Alex was safely back in his room, he put all of his gadgets back in the top drawer of the dresser. He then searched until he found a piece of paper and a pencil. He quickly scribbled a message on the paper:

_I found another file in Samuel Kent's desk. It was labeled 'Operation Bloodbath'. I didn't get a chance to look at the contents though. _

He then took out his ipod and selected the song Mad Russian Christmas. He held down the play button and ran it over the paper. That done, he put away the ipod and collapsed into bed. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

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Mrs. Jones walked into Blunt's office. She had several papers in her hand.

"Alex sent us these." She said, handing Blunt the papers. On each paper there was a photo, name, names of family, and addresses. There were seven of them total. Six of them had the word 'Deceased' stamped across the photo in bold red letters. The seventh did not. The last two that had deceased stamped across the photos were Jacob Anderson and Michel Henderson. The one that did not have 'Deceased' on it was a man by the name of Robert Johnson. He was thirty-six-years-old, black hair, brown eyes, and no family. The information below the picture said that Johnson lived in a small village in southern Peru. It said that he used to work for the Black Circle. But two years ago he had suddenly up and left the Black Circle. It said he left because of the Black Circle's new operation. Blunt looked at Mrs. Jones.

"Do you have any idea what this new operation is?" He asked. Mrs. Jones shook her head. Just then there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Snapped Blunt. Blunt's secretary entered. She handed a paper to Mrs. Jones.

"Smithers asked me to deliver this to you. He said it was a transmission from Alex." She said. Blunt nodded. The secretary left. Blunt sent a questioning glance at Mrs. Jones. A small smile crossed Mrs. Jones face.

"I think Alex stumbled upon some info about this new operation." She said, handing the paper to Blunt. The message said:

_I found another file in Samuel Kent's desk. It was labeled 'Operation Bloodbath'. I didn't get a chance to look at the contents though._

Blunt nodded. "Excellent. Hopefully Alex can find out more about this 'Operation Bloodbath'."

"But Alan." Protested Mrs. Jones. "We said we'd pull him out as soon as we had the proof that the Black Circle was behind the two murders. Now Alex has given us proof that they were behind not two, but six murders and are planning another one."

"Mrs. Jones." Said Blunt. "He has not even been there for a week. If we pull him out now then they will know that we are on to them and that we have proof connecting them to the murders. If they know we're on to them, they will kill Johnson and disappear. If we leave Alex in, we have a better chance of saving Johnson and stopping this 'Operation Bloodbath' that they are planning. Mrs. Jones sighed.

"Fine. But if anything goes wrong it will be on your head, not mine. Don't say I didn't warn you Blunt." With that Mrs. Jones left the room. Blunt sighed and sat down in his chair. He looked at the transmissions they had received from Alex. Something gave him an uneasy feeling about this 'Operation Bloodbath'. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that this probably wouldn't end well for any of them.

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Andrea sat on the plane. She had fallen asleep listening to music about two hours ago. Now she was wide-awake. At her feet was a black duffle bag. It wasn't your normal duffle bag though. It looked like any other, but there was one difference. When it went through the security scanner at the airport, it looked like it was filled with clothes, shoes, and other things you would expect a normal teenage girl to have. In reality, it contained several changes of clothes, a Russian Dragunov Tiger sniper rifle, a Colt M4 Carbine automatic rifle, an M60E3 machine gun, three hand guns (an IMI Desert Eagle, a Glock 22, and a Kahr P9 Double-Action Semi-automatic), two knives (a Glock Survival Knife 81, and a Glock Feldmesser FM 78), and her set of lock picks. It also contained her modified laptop that is fingerprint sensitive so only she can access certain files. If someone other than her uses it they will find no trace of the files. In her pocket was her modified green enV cell phone that has full keyboard, 2.0-mega-pixel camera, VZ Navigator and Verizon's map service. It turns into a bug scanner when you dial 111, it turns into a listening devise when you dial 222, it shoots out a dart that contains a knockout drug when you dial 333, it turns into a smoke bomb when you dial 444, and it turns into a deadly bomb with a five second delay on it when you dial 555. You can also use it like a regular phone too and it works anywhere in the world. Her unmodified ipod was in the outside pocket of her bag.

Her cell phone and laptop had been gifts to her from a childhood friend. He was the only one from her old life that she stayed in contact with. His name was Jake Matthews. Jake was a computer genius and would do almost anything for her. He was the only one from her old life that knew she was even alive. She had disappeared right after her family was killed and after two years of the police searching for her, she was presumed dead. Six years after her family's death, she had contacted Jake. He was happy to help her out. He understood her need for revenge. Though she trusted him, even he didn't know the whole truth. He knew she was after her family's killers, but he didn't know what she did for a living. He didn't know she was a killer, and that's the way she wanted it to stay.

She leaned back in her seat and sighed. Part of her missed her old life. She had been so innocent, so trusting back then. But all that was gone. She wasn't the kind, sweet little girl she used to be. She had changed so much. She barely recognized herself. She looked at her watch. They should be landing in a few hours. She lay back in her seat and stared out over the vast ocean, wondering what her old friends were up to now.

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A/N: I know it was short compared to the last chapter. It's mainly just a filler chapter. Alex and Andrea (Hunter) will meet in the next chapter. That should be interesting. Please review and tell me what you think.


	6. The Assassin and the Spy

A/N: Thank you to all of my faithful reviewers

A/N: Thank you to all of my faithful reviewers. You are the best reviewers anyone could hope for. You guys are so encouraging. I don't think I've gotten one flame so far. hugs You guys are awesome! I would also like to thank my "unofficial" beta, crazy-gal-in-blue. (She's only "unofficial" because she doesn't quite have enough stories posted. rolls eyes )

**Crazy-gal-in-blue (CGIB) - rolls eyes Yea yea. What ever. **

**AleksandryaGregonovitch – Thank you for the info. I really appreciate it. **

**Cat 2 – Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.**

**She Weapon1 - grins mischievously You'll just have to wait and see. I'm glad you like it so far. **

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Chapter 5: The Assassin and the Spy

Andrea made her way down the steps of the plain and onto the cracked pavement of the runway on the outskirts of the compound that served as the Black Circle's head quarters. She made her way quickly across the runway and towards the barracks that housed the officers. She wasn't an officer, but she was an assassin. There for she was given a room in the officer's barracks. She entered the dimly lit building and made her way silently down the hall. She looked at her watch. It was 12:15. She had exactly fifteen minutes until lunch.

She stopped in front of the door numbered 134. She pulled a key out of her pocket and fit it in the lock. She entered the room, closing the door and locking it behind her. Her room was larger than that of the trainees. There was a small window across from the door and in one corner there was a door that led off into a private bathroom that even had a shower in. She had a twin-sized bed set against one wall, a dresser and full-length mirror on the other wall, and an oak desk and chair underneath the window.

She tossed her bag onto her bed. She went into the bathroom, closing the door after her. She turned on the shower and took off her clothes. She stepped into the shower, letting the warm water cascade down her back.

After ten minutes in the shower, she reluctantly stepped out and turned off the water. She used one of the towels hanging on the rack on the wall to dry off. She then wrapped the towel around her body and exited the bathroom. She went over to the dresser and pulled out a uniform much like the trainees. The only difference was there was a small star on the right shoulder of the T-shirt that indicated she was an assassin. After changing into the uniform, she swept her shoulder length brown hair up into a ponytail. That done, she went over to her bed and opened her bag. She pulled out her IMI Desert Eagle, Glock 22, and Kahr P9 handguns. She slipped the Kahr P9 in her pocket, the IMI Desert Eagle in its holster on her belt, and the Glock 22 in the small, right hand drawer of her desk where she kept it when she was around in case of emergencies. She then reached into her bag and pulled out her two knives, a Glock Survival Knife 81, and a Glock Feldmesser FM 78. She slipped one knife down each boot. She then slipped her green enV cell phone into her pocket that did not contain the Kahr P9. She took out her laptop and placed it on her desk, plugging it into the wall outlet that was near the floor to the right of the desk. She then zipped up her bag and shoved it under her bed. She looked at her watch. It was 12:28. She was right on schedule. She exited her room, closing and locking the door behind her. She then pocketed the key and made her way towards the mess hall.

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Alex walked down the isle in between two of the four large tables of the dining hall. He had a tray of food and was looking for a place to sit. He spotted two empty seats at the far end of one of the tables. He sat down in one and began to eat. Just then, the door to the dining hall opened. In walked a girl that looked to be about his age. She had shoulder length brown hair and piercing green eyes. She was dressed in a uniform much like his own. The only difference was there was a star on the right shoulder of her T-shirt, meaning she was an assassin. Her sharp, cold gaze scanned the crowded dining hall. The trainees avoided her gaze. Her eyes seemed to rest on him for a moment, but then she shifted her gaze to elsewhere in the room.

She made her way over to the serving table to collect a tray of food. Whispers ran through the hall.

"It's her…"

"It's the Hunter…"

"Why is she here…"

"I thought she was in England…"

"She must have just gotten here…"

From what Alex could hear, the girl was the infamous Hunter. He had heard about her from some other trainees. She was a teenage assassin. From what he had heard, no one knew her real name or where she had come from. She worked for anyone who would pay her and it was rumored that over half of her former employers were dead.

Alex was startled out of his thoughts by someone sitting down beside him. He was surprised to see that it was Hunter. She barely even glanced at him before she began eating. Nearly everyone in the mess hall was staring at her, with the exception of the kitchen staff and the officers. Alex studied her out of the corner of his eye as he ate his food.

She was about five feet seven inches. She looked like she weighed about a hundred and thirty pounds. Her skin was slightly tanned. Her dark brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She had an air of confidence about her. There was an IMI Desert Eagle in plain sight in a holster on her belt, though Alex was sure that wasn't the only weapon she was carrying. She completely ignored the looks she was getting from the trainees as she ate.

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Andrea's (Hunter's) POV

As I ate my lunch, I felt everyone's eyes on me. I was used to it so it didn't bother me at all. It was the boy beside me that made me slightly nervous. He was watching me discreetly out of the corner of his eye. It was almost like he was sizing me up. He either didn't know the rumors about me or he didn't care. The later seemed to be more likely though because he didn't act like the other recruits around me. Even the newest recruits were nervous around me. But not him. He was calm and cool. He wasn't at all uneasy. There was something else off about him. But I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

After a little bit, he stopped watching me. I casually put my hand in my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. I thanked my lucky stars for my camera phone. I fiddled around with it like I was checking my messages or something. I made sure that I angled it so that no one but me could see the screen and that the camera was pointing at the boy. I discreetly snapped a picture of him. I was glad it didn't a flash; otherwise it would have been obvious I was taking a picture. I would have to see what I could find out about him. I would look him up on my laptop once I got back to my room.

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Normal POV

Mr. Blunt and Mrs. Jones sat in Blunt's office discussing the issue of Robert Johnson.

"He obviously knew something about this Operation Bloodbath because that's what caused him to leave. We need to get to him before they do." Said Blunt.

"But there is the small problem of getting agents to his location as fast as possible. The only agents we have in Peru are undercover. So for obvious reasons, we can't use them. The closest agents that aren't undercover are preoccupied in tracking down a fugitive in Costa Rica." Replied Mrs. Jones. Blunt frowned.

" I guess that leaves us with only one option. We have to some how get a team to Peru as soon as possible."

"But there was one problem with that plan. We have no idea when the Black Circle is planning to take out Johnson. They could easily take him out before our people even get close to him." Mrs. Jones argued. Blunt sighed.

"I guess we'll just have to hope they wait long enough for us to get to him." He replied. Mrs. Jones frowned.

"And if we don't reach him in time?"

"Then we'll just have to hope that Alex can find out what they're planning and stop them."

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When Andrea (or Hunter as we shall now call her) finished eating, she took her tray up to the kitchen window and handed it to one of the kitchen staff. She then made her way out of the dining hall and back to her room.

Once she was in her room, she carefully locked the door behind her. She then went over to her desk and sat down. She opened her laptop and logged on. Once she was logged on, she proceeded to hack into the Black Circle's database. She found the list of recruits. It had their names, photos, ages and all of their other information. She took out her phone and found the picture of the boy that she had taken at lunch. She scrolled down through the list. They were listed alphabetically by last name. It was under the M's that she found him. His name was Alex Manes. It said he had just arrived from London on Tuesday. He hadn't even been here for a whole week. She looked through the rest of his information. It was nothing really interesting. It just had information on his deceased parents and a little bit of background.

She leaned back in her chair. There was something slightly off about this Alex. There was something that just didn't quite fit. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She had a hunch that there was more to the boy than met the eye. She didn't know what it was, but she would find out, no matter what it took.

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A/N: I know it was a little short. But at least it was something.


	7. Operation Bloodbath

**A/N: You will finally find out what Operation Bloodbath is in this chapter. Things will also start picking up a little.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thank you. Here is the next chapter.**

**AleksandryaGregonovitch – I'm glad you liked it.**

**Crazy-gal-in-blue – I don't think I changed anything. **

**Cat 2 – Thank you. It was interesting to write too.**

**She Weapon1 – Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Here is the next chapter.**

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Last chapter - _She leaned back in her chair. There was something slightly off about this Alex. There was something that just didn't quite fit. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She had a hunch that there was more to the boy than met the eye. She didn't know what it was, but she would find out, no matter what it took._

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Chapter 6: Operation Bloodbath

Andrea stared intently at the computer screen. According to his information, Alex Manes was just another troubled kid recruited into the Black Circle group to be trained as an assassin. But her instincts were telling her that there was something off about him. She decided to trust her instincts because her instincts were usually right. She leaned forward in her chair. She opened a new tab on the screen and opened Google. She Googled the name Alex Manes. The search came up empty. She tried several other browsers, but the results were the same. She clicked on the original tab that had Alex's information from the Black Circle database. She looked through his information carefully. Bingo! It had the name of his former school. They should have his records still.

It only took her five minutes to hack into the school's database. She looked up the name Alex Manes. Like the web search, it came up empty. There were only three other Alex's in the school, but none of them resembled Alex Manes. She was at another dead end.

After staring at her computer screen for a few minutes, she came up with an idea. She opened the phone book in her enV and scrolled down until she came to the name Jake Matthews. She pressed the call button and held the phone up to her ear.

After three rings, the person on the other end picked up.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey Jake, it's Andy." (A/N: That's her nickname. It's short for Andrea.)

"_Andy! You haven't called in a while. What's up?"_

"I've been…busy. Look, I wanted to ask a favor of you."

"_What can I do for you this time?"_

"I need you to look someone up for me."

"_Uh…sure. Who is it?"_

"His name is supposedly Alex Manes. He's sixteen. I think he's from London. I can send you a picture of him."

"_Okay. Once you send me a picture of him I can hack into the systems of the schools in London and see if I can get a match using the photo."_

"Thanks Jake."

"_No problem. Uh…one question though…why do you want to look him up?" _Hunter paused.

"I…have a hunch about him."

"_What, you think he's connected to…them?"_ Hunter took a deep breath.

"It's…it's complicated."

"_Look, if you want to talk, you know I'm here for you."_

"Yea. I know. It's just…it's better if you don't know." There was a pause on the other end.

"_You do know the rest will find out eventually. We can't keep this away from them forever."_

"Yeah." She said softly. "I know. It's just, the longer they don't know the better." There was silence on both ends of the line for a bit. Hunter was the one that finally broke it. "Look, I have to go. Call me when you get something."

"_All right. Will do."_ Jake hung up. Hunter stared at the phone for a moment before turning her attention back to the laptop. She quickly got the photo from the Black Circle's database and emailed it to Jake. All she had to do now was wait for Jake to work his magic.

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Alex hurried back to his room. Since it was Saturday, the trainees had most of the day off. Once he made sure the door was locked, he went through his routine of scanning the room for bugs using his ipod. As expected, there were none. He then found a paper and pencil and scribbled a message on it:

The Black Circle has a teenage assassin called Hunter. She is my age and I think she just got back from London. I know Hunter is not her real name. I don't know what her real name is though. Might she be connected with Jacob Anderson's murder?

Description: She is about 5'7 with dark brown hair and green eyes. She looks like she weighs about 130 pounds.

He selected the song Mad Russian Christmas on his ipod and ran the ipod over the sheet of paper, sending it to the MI6 HQ. He then switched off the ipod and proceeded to destroy the message. After putting the ipod away, he checked his watch. It was 1:28. He wanted to do some more exploring that night. He wanted to get back into Kent's study and look at the 'Operation Bloodbath' file. Since he didn't have any more lessons that day, he had time to form a plan of action for later that night. He would also have to get some rest if he wanted to be alert when he went to carry out the plan.

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Mrs. Jones walked into Alan Blunt's office. In her hand was a single sheet of paper. There was a troubled look on her face as she handed the paper silently to Blunt. He quickly read over the paper. It was another transmission from Alex.

The Black Circle has a teenage assassin called Hunter. She is my age and I think she just got back from London. I know Hunter is not her real name. I don't know what her real name is though. Might she be connected with Jacob Anderson's murder?

Description: She is about 5'7 with dark brown hair and green eyes. She looks like she weighs about 130 pounds.

Blunt handed the paper back to Mrs. Jones.

"Looks like we aren't the only ones with a teenage agent. See if you can find anyone matching her description in the system." Mrs. Jones nodded.

"What about Alex? Aren't you going to pull him out?" Blunt shook his head.

"Mrs. Jones, I already told you. That would put the entire operation at risk." Mrs. Jones frowned.

"Alan, this is a sixteen year old boy we're talking about here!"

"This is sixteen year old boy who took down one of the world's largest criminal organizations when he was only fourteen. I'm sure he can take care of himself until we can safely pull him out without jeopardizing the operation." Replied Blunt, his face it's usual emotionless mask. Mrs. Jones did not look happy, but she let the subject drop because she knew it would do no good to argue with him about it.

"What about Johnson?" She asked.

"I have a team on their way to Peru right now. They should be arriving early tomorrow morning at the airport in Iquitos. They will have to drive a couple of hours to the village where Johnson lives. They will probably get there around midmorning." Mrs. Jones nodded.

"Let's just hope they aren't too late."

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Ten hours later…

Alex awoke with a start. The room was dark and the only light came from the lights outside. Alex looked at his watch. It was 11:30. He had fallen asleep around 8:30. He had had three hours of sleep. Good. That meant he would be well rested for his little adventure. He got up and walked over to his dresser. He opened the second drawer and pulled out his black cargo pants and black T-shirt that he had used the other night. After putting them on, he opened the top drawer of the dresser and pulled out his zit cream, his "Bubble-07" chewing gum, his sunglasses, ipod, and his survival belt. He put on the belt and the sunglasses and slipped his zit cream, chewing gum, and ipod into his pockets. He also retrieved his gun from his backpack and pocketed it. He then made his way over to the window and opened it. After making sure the coast was clear, he slipped out the window and into the night.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Alex made his way towards Kent's quarters using the same route he had used the night before. When he reached the corner of the building, he saw that a new guard was posted at the back door. This guard didn't look much better than the last one. The guard was leaning against the wall with his back turned slightly towards Alex smoking a cigarette.

Slowly, Alex crept up behind the man. The man didn't notice him. When he was right behind the guard, he clamped his hand over the man's mouth and used the pressure points in the man's neck to knock him unconscious. Once again, Alex positioned him against the wall so it looked like he was sleeping. He then searched the man's pockets. There were no keys. Looking at the door, he also noticed that there were several heavy padlocks on the door that hadn't been there before. Kent were obviously taking precautions to make sure no one broke into the building again. Unfortunately for them, they didn't take enough precautions. Alex pulled his tube of zit cream out of his pocket. He unscrewed the cap and squeezed some of it onto each of the pad locks. The zit cream made short work of the heavy locks. Within minutes, he had the locks off.

Alex carefully opened the door. He had his hand in the pocket that contained his gun, ready to draw it incase there were other guards. Luckily, there were none. He care fully closed the door behind him. If it hadn't been for his night vision sunglasses, he would not have been able to see a thing. He made his way carefully through the maze of crates that filled the storage room, careful to make as little noise as humanly possible.

When he reached the door that led to Kent's office, he paused and pulled out his ipod, selecting the song Fade to Black, which turned it into a listening devise. He held the ipod against the wall, listening for any signs of life on the other side. He didn't here anything. He carefully turned off the ipod and returned it to his pocket. He then reached up and tried the handle on the door. It turned easily. Clearly Kent hadn't anticipated him getting in the building. Alex allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. So many criminals had underestimated him, and it had turned out to be their undoing. Kent would not be an exception and would soon find out his mistake.

Alex carefully stepped into Kent's office. It look like it had the night before. Alex didn't totally close the door behind him incase he needed to make a quick escape. He carefully made his way over to the desk. He opened the middle left hand drawer. He quickly found the file labeled 'Operation Bloodbath'. He carefully opened it. There were several papers in it. The first one was an overview of the project. He scanned the information. Evidently, Operation Bloodbath was targeting what the Black Circle referred to as "corrupted government agencies" such as the CIA, FBI, NCIS, MI5, MI6, and ASIS. It said that there were already moles in each of the agencies. It said that in three days, highly explosive material would be smuggled into each of the agencies via the moles. Once all of the explosives were in place, they would be detonated, effectively destroying the head quarters of all six agencies. The next couple of pages had details about the moles in the different agencies and blue prints of each of the six targeted buildings that had marked on them where the explosives were to be placed by the moles. Alex was stunned. They actually thought they could get away with blowing up the head quarters of not one, but _six_ government agencies.

Alex quickly pulled out his ipod and selected the song Mad Russian Christmas. He quickly passed the devise over each of the pages before turning it off and returning it to his pocket. He then closed the file and replaced it in the drawer. He made sure everything was back where it had been before he turned and left the office via the secret door that connected to the storage room.

As he closed the door that led to Kent's office behind him, his eyes fell on the stacks of crates that filled the room. It was then that the realization hit him. The crates contained the explosives for Operation Bloodbath. He had to find a way to get rid of them before the Black Circle could use them. He only had three days to come up with a plan. He had to act fast if he wanted to stop them.

Quickly, Alex made his way out of the building and back to his room. He would have to be very careful the next couple of days because he had broken the locks on the back door of Kent's quarters, so it was obvious someone had been in there. He sighed. This mission was far from over.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: Well folks, that's it for now. Please review and tell me what you think of it. Remember, the more reviews I get, the more motivation I will have to update. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and trust me, this story is far from over. **

**Next chapter – **

**One - You will find out what happens to the next target on the Black Circle's hit list.**

**Two - Hunter will get her answer.**

**Three - Well…you'll just have to wait and find out. It's a surprise. grins evilly **


	8. I Know Who You Are

Chapter 7:

**A/N: This chapter will answer some of your questions. But it will also bring up others. I will reveal part of a major plot twist in this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Vampassassin – Thank you. Here is the next chapter.**

**She Weapon1 – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. **

**Aquanova – Thank you. I will try to keep that in mind. **

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 7: I Know Who You Are

Two desert-camouflaged jeeps pulled up outside of a small, tan colored house on the edge of a small village. Four SAS men jumped out of each the moment they parked. Four of them made their way to the front door while the other four went around the back. The man in the lead held up his hand for silence. He listened for any sign of movement from within the house. There was none. He pulled out his radio and spoke into it.

"Anything around back?"

_"Negative. There is no movement back here. Everything's quiet. No sign of Johnson."_ Came the reply.

"Copy that." The man replied. He nodded to his three team members. They positioned themselves on either side of the door. "Go ahead." He indicated to the man that stood slightly behind him. The man gave the door a hard kick. The door fell inward. It was immediately followed by the sound of a door breaking towards the back of the house. It was the unit from the back. All of them entered with their weapons up, ready to shoot at a moment's notice. They immediately spread out, two to each room, searching the place for any sigh of their target. They found him in the bedroom near the back of the house. He was lying on the bed. There was a bullet hole in his forehead and the window directly across from him was shattered. The man in the lead lowered his gun and made his way over to Johnson. He checked for a pulse. There was none. He swore violently. They were too late. The Black Circle had struck again. He looked up at his teammates. They had all lowered their weapons.

"He's dead."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hunter had just gotten back to her room from breakfast the next morning when her phone rang. She looked at the caller i.d. It said Jake Matthews. She quickly answered the phone.

"Hey Jake. You got something for me?"

_"Yup. Your Alex Manes is actually Alex Rider. He goes to Brookland Comprehensive School in Chelsea, London. I emailed his records to you so you can look over them."_

"Thanks Jake. I really appreciate it."

_"No problem. So, is this the phone I gave you? Or did you blow that one and somehow get another one?"_

"Nope! This is the same one. It's still all in one piece. So is the laptop."

_"For once you didn't manage to get them destroyed three weeks after I gave them to you!"_

" Hey! That wasn't my fault! It was the idiot who tried to blow me up!"

_"Sure Andy. Sure. That's what they all say. Any way, I got to go. Don't wait so long to call next time. You had me thinking you were dead."_

"I'll try. Thanks again."

"_Any time Andy." _Jake hung up. Andrea put her phone in her pocket and hurried over to where her laptop was sitting on her desk. She opened it and logged on. She checked her email. She found Jake's email and opened it. Sure enough, it contained the records of Alex Rider. She looked down through it. Her suspicions were proved right. There was something off about Alex. His records said that he was frequently absent for long periods of time and that when he came back from his absences he always had a collection of cuts and bruises. It said that he had been "sick" a lot since his uncle, Ian Rider, had died. It said that Ian had been a banker at the Royal and General bank. She knew for a fact that the Royal and General was not a bank, but the head quarters of MI6. She proceeded to look up the name Ian Rider on the Internet. She found out that Ian had had a brother who had also work for the Royal and General bank.

So Alex Rider was the son of a deceased MI6 spy who's brother was also a spy. She was willing to bet that he was now following in their footsteps. After all, there was no better explanation for his frequent absences from school. There was only one way to get a definite answer, hack into MI6's database. So that's what she did.

An hour and a half and several violent curses later, Hunter finally got into the MI6 database. She searched the name Alex Rider. Bingo! There he was. He had a huge file. It would obviously take awhile to read it all. It contained his personal info and info about all of the missions he had been on. It was his fifth mission that caught her eye, Operation Scorpia. As she read through the information, an idea began to form in her mind. Maybe, just maybe, it might work. If it did, then it would turn out better for both of them. She smiled. For once she might not be working alone.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Blunt looked up as Mrs. Jones entered his office.

"Do you have something?" He asked. Mrs. Jones nodded.

"I have a report from the SAS teams sent to pick up Johnson and a transmission from Alex."

"Excellent."

"You won't be too happy about the SAS report. They said that when they got there, they found Johnson dead. He was shot once in the head. It looks like the Black Circle got there before we did." Blunt frowned. He was about to say something, but Mrs. Jones held up her hand. "But it looks like we would not have had to get the information from Johnson anyway. Alex managed to get a hold of the Operation Bloodbath file. He sent us a copy of the entire thing." She hand a sheaf of papers to Blunt. He took them and carefully read over them.

"It looks like they are planning an attack on the Australian and United States governments as well as our own." Said Blunt. Mrs. Jones nodded.

"Luckily the file includes a list of moles in each of the agencies. Hopefully we can get to them before they know we are onto them." Blunt nodded.

"Get this list of the informants to each of the agencies ASAP. Hopefully we can intercept the explosives and stop this attack in time." He glanced down at the papers. "We only have two days. We need to get moving on this right away. Is there any news about this Hunter girl Alex mentioned?" Mrs. Jones shook her head.

"We didn't find any matches in the system so far. It would be much easier if we had a photo to compare. The techs are still working on it. I will let you know if we get any results." Blunt nodded.

"Good. Thank you."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**Later that evening…**

Alex made his way back to his room. It was just after dinner. He was tired and needed to get some sleep. He couldn't wait until this was all over so he could get back to his life. He entered his room and locked the door behind him. He took off his boots and set them by the dresser. It was then that he noticed the piece of paper lying there on top of the dresser. He frowned. He knew for a fact that he hadn't left it there. He carefully went over and picked it up. It said:

_Alex,_

_I know who you really are. You are not Alex Manes. You are Alex Rider. You are a spy for MI6. Do not worry. I will not spill your secret to Kent._

_I have a proposition to make. Why don't you join me? We both have a common enemy. We could accomplish much more together than we could alone. I know you do not want to work for MI6. You proved that on your Scorpia mission. I can help you get away from MI6. I can help you get your revenge. _

_You have until midnight tonight to decide. Meet me in storage shed one at midnight to give me your decision. I will be waiting._

_ H_.

Alex sucked in his breath. Someone had been in his room. He had been found out. But the question was, by whom? And would they really not tell Kent, or was the whole thing just a setup?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: Surprise you? I hope so. Now, I would like to know what you think is going to happen. **

**One – Who do you think **_**H**_** is? (If you think about it you will probably get it right.)**

**Two – Do You think **_**H**_** really won't tell Kent about Alex?**

**Three – Do you think Alex will join **_**H**_**, or do you think he will stay loyal to MI6? Why or why not?**

**Next chapter – **

**One – Alex makes his decision.**

**Two – You will find out if it's a setup or not.**

**Three – **_**H**_**. will be revealed.**


	9. The Choices We Make

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.**

**Crazy-gal-in-blue – w/e Thanks.**

**She Weapon1 – I'm glad you liked it. But I'm afraid things won't turn out as you are hoping.**

**Cat 2 – I understand. Thank you for reviewing. **

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Chapter 8: The Choices We Make

Alex stared at the note in his hand. He didn't recognize the handwriting. He had no idea who had sent it or whether or not he could trust them. They had not said who they were. They had just signed it with a simple _H_. It could be the first letter of their first name or their last name. Or it could be something entirely different. The only way to find out was to meet them at midnight. Part of him screamed at him not to, that it was a setup. But a bigger part of him was curious and wanted to know who it was. After all, he could always just say no. Finally, the part of him that wanted to go won out. He would take his gadgets and gun just in case it actually was a setup.

He sighed and looked at his watch. It was 8:15. He had exactly three and three quarter hours until he was going to meet the mysterious _H._ He flopped down on his bed. He decided to get some sleep before the meeting.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Alex woke up at exactly 11:53. He realized he only had seven minutes until he was supposed to meet _H_. He quickly changed into his black cargo pants and black T-shirt and pulled on his combat boots. He then went over to the dresser and opened the top drawer that held his gadgets. He put on his survival belt, put his zit cream, chewing gum, and ipod in his pocket and put on the sunglasses. He went over to his backpack and pulled out his gun. He made sure it was loaded and that the safety was on before putting it in his other pocket. When he was sure that he had everything, he went over to the window and opened it. After making sure the coast was clear, Alex carefully climbed out the window and dropped onto the ground below.

He crouched perfectly still below the window, listening for any signs that he had been seen. Hearing none, he slowly rose to his feet and made his way alone the side of the building, going towards the storage sheds. He made sure he kept to the shadows as much as possible, darting across open spaces between buildings.

It only took a few minutes to reach storage shed one. He carefully made his way around the building until he found the door. After checking to make sure no one was in sight, he easy the door open. He slipped quietly inside, his hand in the pocket with the gun ready to draw it, and closed the door quietly behind him. When he looked around him, he saw that boxes and selves of guns and knives surrounded him. There was no sign of anyone. He looked at his watch. It said 12:00. He was right on time.

"Hello?" He asked cautiously.

"Alex Rider. It is a pleasure to meet you at last." He looked around quickly. He couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but he could tell that it was female. He frowned.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"That is of no importance right now."

"What do you want?"

"A partner. I have worked alone most of my career, but I am willing to change that."

"Why me?"

"I have heard a lot about you. I also managed to get a hold of your files. You have a very impressive record Rider. You and I could work well together."

"What if I choose not to?"

"That is your choice. But working with me will have its advantages. One is that you can escape MI6's control. You proved that you don't want to work for them during Operation Scorpia." Alex winced at that.

"So what if I don't?"

"Work with me and you will be out of MI6's control." Alex thought about it for a minute. It was a tempting offer.

"How do I know you won't double cross me?" He asked. She laughed softly.

"You don't. You'll just…have to trust me."

"Last time I trusted someone like that they tried to kill me."

"Ah. Yes. Good old Scorpia. That was because your father had double-crossed _them_. I have nothing against you Rider."

"You said your self that you know I'm here to get information to bring down your employers."

"You're wasting your time. As soon as I get my money, the Black Circle will be no more. Your government won't have to bother with them."

"How are you going to accomplish that?"

"You will see."

"How do I know this is not a setup?"

"I am only paid as an assassin. I am not truly part of this organization. I just do my job, take my money, and leave. Security for the Black Circle is none of my business."

"You say I'm supposed to trust you. But you clearly don't trust me."

"How is that Rider?"

"You haven't shown your face yet. Are you afraid I will tell Kent what you are planning to do once you have your money?"

"…Very well." A figure jumped down from a stack of crates and landed right in front of Alex. He jumped back a bit. He was shocked to see that the person was none other than the infamous Hunter. Her shoulder length brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and she wore black cargo pants, a black spaghetti-strap tank top and combat boots. He could see the faint outline of her IMI Desert Eagle in a holster on her belt.

"Hunter?" He asked. She smirked.

"The one and the same."

"Why do you want a partner?" He asked suspiciously.

"It would benefit both of us. It would make my job easier and it would get you out of MI6. Isn't that what you want?" Alex hesitated.

"Yea…"

"What would your father think of you, working against those he worked for?" Alex stiffened at the mention of his father. His gaze hardened.

"He worked for MI6. He didn't work for Scorpia." Hunter chuckled.

"That's what MI6 told you now isn't it? Well let me tell you something, they're wrong."

"How do you know?"

"I have my sources."

"If Scorpia didn't kill him then who did?"

"Look, we're not here to talk about your father. Are you going to join me or what?" Alex studied her for a moment. The indecision was clear on his face.

"You have been trying to get away from MI6 for the past two years. Now is your chance. You might never get a chance like this again." Alex took a deep breath. Then he said the three words that would change his life forever.

"Alright. I'm in." Hunter smiled.

"I was hoping you would say that. Now, about getting rid of the Black Circle…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: I know this story does not stick close to canon anymore. Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider would not truly join Hunter. I am sorry if you do not like this new twist. I wrote it this way because I am attached to the idea of Alex becoming an assassin. If you do not like the fact that I am not sticking close to canon, that's okay. I know I might get flamed for this by some people. But I am going to do it this way anyway. If you don't like it, I will not make you read it. Thank you for taking time to read this.**


	10. Preperations

**A/N: First, I would like to start off by thanking all of my wonderful reviewers. Without you, this story wouldn't be possible. You are the best reviewers a writer could ask for. All of your encouraging reviews are what keep me writing. hugs**

**Cat 2 – You will find out more about John's roll in all this in later chapters. You will also learn more about Hunter. You are right about Alex and MI6. They did have issues. You are also right about Alex and Scorpia too. The only reason he didn't become one of them was because a.) they tried to kill him, and b.) MI6 convinced him that Scorpia killed John.**

**Aquanova – I think so too. I am kind of attached to the idea of him being an assassin. You will find out more about Hunter's intentions in later chapters.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Wow. Thanks. I'm glad you like it so far. **

**Crazy-gal-in-blue – You mean the chapter labels? I have a prolog and an author's note in there so it throws it off a little. **

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Chapter 9: Preparations

The next day passed in a blur for Alex. It seemed like in no time at all it was time for dinner. He hurried through the usual dinner routine and then quickly made his way back to his room.

Once there, he locked the door and scanned the room for bugs using his ipod. As expected, there were none. He sighed and flopped down on the bed. He was supposed to be meeting Hunter tonight at the same place as the night before only at 11:30 instead of 12:00. They planned on leaving that night since Hunter was supposed to have gotten her money latter that day. This meant that he had to pack the few things he had with him. Hunter said they would get any other equipment they needed that they didn't have from the storage sheds.

He got up and fetched his backpack from where it hung by the door and tossed it onto his bed. He really didn't have much to pack. He threw all of his gadgets except for his belt in his backpack. He then opened the second drawer of the dresser and pulled out his black cargo pants and black T-shirt that he changed into. He threw his uniform that he had been wearing in the drawer and pulled out the jeans and T-shirt he had wore when he had arrived, threw them in his backpack, and closed the drawer. He put on his belt and fetched his canteen from where it sat on top of the dresser. Luckily he had remembered to fill it at dinner. He shoved that in his backpack too. He quickly looked around the room. There was really nothing else to pack. He decided to get some rest before they left later that night.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hunter had spent most of the day preparing for later that evening. She had managed to sneak some food from the kitchen and had stashed it away in her room along with a canteen of water (Alex had his own so she didn't need to get one for him). Since she had been asked to take inventory of the storage sheds because the man who usually did it was ill, she had managed to stash some other supplies they would need in an empty crate in storage shed number one. By dinnertime, all that was left for her to do was pack her own things.

When she got back to her room, she locked herself in. Then she pulled out her black duffle bag, which at the moment contained only her Russian Dragunov Tiger sniper rifle, M60E3 machine gun, and Colt M4 Carbine automatic rifle. She put the bag on her bed and took out each of the guns. After making sure they were all clean, loaded, and in good condition, she returned them to the bag and made her way over to the desk. She removed the Glock 22 handgun that she kept there and took it over to the bed. She also removed her Kahr P9 handgun from her pocket and her IMI Desert Eagle from the holster on her belt. She cleaned all three and made sure they were loaded and in good condition. That done, she placed the three handguns on her bed and pulled out her Glock Survival Knife 81, and Glock Feldmesser FM 78 knife. She cleaned them and made sure they also were in good condition before placing them on the bed along side the three handguns.

After Hunter had finished with her weapons, she hurried over to the dresser. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a black balaclava and a thin, black bulletproof vest. She shoved the balaclava into her duffle bag on the bed. She returned to the dresser and closed the top drawer and opened the bottom drawer. She pulled out a gray backpack and closed the drawer. Next she opened the middle drawer. She pulled out several changes of clothes and shoved them in the backpack. She also pulled out the back cargo pants she had been wearing the night before and a black T-shirt, which she tossed onto the bed. She zipped up her backpack and set it on top of the dresser and then made her way over to the bed.

She exchanged her uniform for the cargo pants and T-shirt that she had tossed onto the bed. She also put the bulletproof vest on underneath the T-shirt. Once she was changed, she put her IMI Desert Eagle in its holster on her belt along with her Glock 22. She pulled a black band out of her duffle bag and fastened it around her just above her waist so the holster rested on the small of her back. Then she slipped a knife into each boot and tucked her balaclava into her belt. She then put her enV in her pocket and turned off her laptop and put it in her duffle bag and zipped it shut. Now that everything was packed and ready, she opened on of her desk drawer where she had stashed the floor plans for Kent's quarters that she had stolen earlier that day, took them out and spread them out on the desk. She sat down at the desk and studied them carefully, memorizing them and occasionally marking something on them in red.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**Three hours later…**

Alex woke up at 11:28. He almost panicked when he saw the time. He only had two minutes until he was supposed to meet hunter. He jumped out of bed and pulled on his combat boots. He grabbed his backpack and hurried over to the window. He opened it carefully climbed out. After making sure the coast was clear, he made his way towards storage shed one where he was supposed to meet Hunter.

It only took him a few minutes to get to the storage shed. He quickly slipped inside the building. He made his way towards the back where he found Hunter digging through a crate of supplies.

"Is that the rest of the supplies we'll need?" he asked. Hunter stood up.

"This is the rest of the supplies we need from the other storage sheds. The only things we need that aren't in this box are in this shed." Alex nodded. Hunter pulled out a dark blue duffle bag and tossed it to him. "This bag is for storing weapons. When you go through a security scanner it will just look like it contains the usual things you would expect it to contain, like clothes and stuff." Alex nodded.

"Smithers would love to get a hold of this." He said. Hunter gave him a questioning look. Alex quickly explained. "Smithers is MI6's gadget guy. He was the only decent person there." Hunter nodded. She bent down and rummaged through the contents of the crate. This time she pulled out a flashlight, a lighter, a small bottle of lighter fluid, a coil of rope, and two Bluetooth systems. She hand everything except for one of the Bluetooth systems to Alex. She fixed her Bluetooth system in her ear. Alex did the same with his and put the rest of the gear in the duffel bag. Hunter then pulled two more things out of the crate. She handed him a balaclava and a thin, lightweight, bulletproof vest that he put on underneath his T-shirt. He tucked his balaclava in his belt for later.

"We need to get you some more weapons. Do you have any of your own?" Alex nodded. He pulled his Glock 7 out of his backpack. Hunter nodded approvingly. "Nice."

"There is a secret compartment in the bottom of my backpack for it."

"It looks like that Smithers you mentioned knows what he's doing." Alex nodded. Hunter motioned for him to follow her. She led him over to a crate containing handguns. "You'll need two more of those." She said, gesturing at the crate of handguns. "I'd suggest you pick a Kahr P9 because it's easy to conceal. But you can take whatever you want." Alex ran his eyes over each of the weapons. There were several different kinds. He ran his hands over each of them. After a few minutes he decided on a Beretta M9 and a Kahr P9 Double-Action Semi-automatic. Hunter nodded approvingly at his choices. He felt kind of guilty about taking them like that. But he quickly pushed the thought away. He needed to concentrate. He fastened the holster of the Beretta M9 onto his belt and place the gun in it. He was about to do the same with the Kahr P9, but Hunter stopped him. She handed him a black band and showed him how to fasten it just above his waist. She showed him how to attach the Kahr P9's holster to the band so it rested in the small of his back. She also handed him a holster for his Glock 7, which he attached to his belt along side the Beretta M9.

Hunter then led him over to a rack of sniper rifles. He chose M110Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS), which could double as an automatic assault rifle if the bolt is opened. He then chose an Enfield L86A1 LSW for his machine gun. The last weapons Hunter had him choose were two knives. He chose a Glock Field Knife 78 and a Ka Bar Fighting Knife. He tucked one knife in each boot.

Once he had everything he needed, they went back to where their bags were. Alex disassembled his rifle and machine gun and put them in his duffle bag while Hunter fetched the blue prints of Kent's quarters from her own and spread them out on top of one of the crates. Alex went over and stood beside her. He saw she had marked a red star on the second floor blue prints.

"This is where we'll set the fire. It's in the kitchen, which is right above the storage room. When Kent designed the building, he made sure it had stone walls so some couldn't set the building on fire and cause it to blow up. He didn't think about putting in stone floors though. The floors are wooden. If we set a fire in the kitchen, it will burn through the floor and spread to the explosives in the room below." Alex nodded.

"He'll probably have smoke detectors all over the place. We'll have to disable them before we set the fire. We'll also have to get out of there quickly once we set it." He said. Hunter nodded.

"I see that you have some experience with setting buildings on fire." Hunter grinned.

"Several of my missions within the past year included setting fire to buildings." She nodded.

"As far as getting out, that's what the ropes are for. The kitchen has one window. We'll dangle the rope from the window before we set the fire so we can escape quickly." Alex nodded.

"Good idea. So who's setting the fire?"

"You. We'll both go in via the back door. We'll disable the smoke detectors and then I'll take care of Kent while you get the escape ropes and the fire ready. But make sure you don't actually light the fire until I get there. Once I'm there, we'll light the fire and get the hell out of there. Also, I planted bombs in each of the other buildings, including this one. I have them rigged so that when I dial a certain number, they'll all go off. Once we're clear, I'll detonate them."

"Nice. How about getting away from here? We can't exactly walk because it's twenty-five miles to the nearest village." Hunter grinned.

"That's the fun part. In storage shed number three there is a jeep that is whenever anything is needed in the village. I can hot wire it in no time flat."

"Excellent." Alex looked at his watch. "It's 11:56. We should probably get going." Hunter frowned.

"We can't take our duffel bags with us. We can stop by storage shed three and put them in the jeep a while." Alex nodded.

"Okay. Sounds good." The two teens put on their backpacks and slung their duffel bags over their shoulders and made their way to the front of the storage shed. They slipped silently out the door and off into the night.

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**A/N: I know this isn't one of my best chapters. But at least it's something. I was kind of rushed because I wanted to get it posted before I left on vacation. I wont have access to a computer this weekend, so since I''ll be getting back on Monday, The next chapter will probably be up Tuesday or Wednesday. There will be a lot more action in the next chapter, I promise. Thank you for taking time to read this. Remember, the more reviews I get, the more motivation I will have to update. So go click on that pretty little purple button at the bottom of the screen that says 'Review'. You know you want to.**


	11. Operation Chaos

**A/N: Wow! I am amazed at the response I am getting for this! You guys are awesome! I just looked back threw all of the reviews for this and I realized I haven't gotten a single flame! Not one! It's so encouraging to see that! hugs I don't know what I'd do without you all.**

**Cat 2 – So true. You never know who is really on your side. **

**SheWeapon1 – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. This chapter has been really fun to write.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thanks. You can thank AleksandryaGregonovitch for most of the info on the guns. And yes, I very much enjoyed my vacation. Thank you for asking. **

**AleksandryaGregonovitch – I'm glad you liked it. **

**Now, on to the chapter you have all been waiting for…**

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Last chapter -_ "Okay. Sounds good." The two teens put on their backpacks and slung their duffel bags over their shoulders and made their way to the front of the storage shed. They slipped silently out the door and off into the night._

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Chapter 10: Operation Chaos

Alex and Hunter made their way silently towards storage shed three. They kept to the shadows as much as possible, darting quickly across the open spaces between buildings. It was only a matter of minutes before they reached the shed. They slipped silently inside. Alex pulled out his flashlight and shown it around. They quickly located the desert-camouflaged jeep. It was parked near a large garage door at the side of the building.

They silently made their way over to it and dumped their duffle bags in the back. Alex turned to Hunter.

"Are you sure this will work?" He asked.

"Trust me. I have done this plenty of times." She replied.

"If your sure."

"Of course I'm sure." Hunter began double-checking her weapons and equipment. Alex followed her example.

"Ready?" She asked once they had finished. Alex took a deep breath. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. A small smile spread across his face.

"Let's do it." Hunter's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Let Operation Chaos commence." Both Alex and Hunter pulled on their balaclavas so that only their eyes were showing. Alex flicked off his flashlight. They let their eyes adjust to the darkness before making their way over to the door. They slipped silently out into the darkness.

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Alex and Hunter slipped silently through the night. The moon was full overhead, making night vision goggles unnecessary. They took advantage of every shadow and building. They were careful to steer clear of any guards that were patrolling. They were forced to dive behind the nearest cover on several occasions when they all most ran into a guard. But luck seemed to be on their side and they were never caught, though they came close more than once. It seemed as though security had been tightened. Alex figured that it was probably his fault since the last time he had broke into Kent's office, he had been forced to use his zit cream on the locks. It had been obvious that someone had been in there when they weren't supposed to be.

After a few minutes of dodging guards and several close calls, Alex and Hunter made it to the building. They knew that security would probably be tighter there, but they couldn't risk attracting unwanted attention with a confrontation around front. When they got there, they saw that their guess had been correct. There were two burly guards stationed there as opposed to one around front. The locks on the door had been replaced and another one had been added. They looked even more complicated then the others had been. Hunter signaled for Alex to stay still. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her green enV cell phone. She pointed the top of the phone at the first guard and dialed 333. A tiny dart containing a knockout drug buried it self in his neck. A look of confusion crossed his face. He reached his hand up to his neck. His eyes widened in shock. He quietly crumpled to the ground. His companion started towards him. But Hunter was already aiming at him. She dialed 333 again. He quickly joined his companion on the ground. Hunter nodded to Alex.

They moved silently forward towards the prone forms of the guards. Hunter kicked them aside.

"They should be out for at least a half an hour." She said softly to Alex. He nodded. Hunter frowned at the door. She was about to reach into her bag to get something, but Alex stopped her. He shook his head. She watched in confusion as he reached into his bag and pulled out a tube of zit cream. He coated part of each of the locks with it. Her eyes lit up when she saw how it easily burned through the metal. Alex smirked. They quickly removed the locks. Hunter drew her Desert Eagle while Alex drew his Berretta M9. They positioned themselves on either side of the door. Alex nodded to Hunter to show that he was ready. They both flicked off the safeties on their guns. Hunter swung open the door and entered, gun raised, ready to shoot. Alex was close behind her. The storage room was empty except for the stacks of boxes that contained the explosives meant for the government agencies. Hunter gave the thumbs up.

Hunter and Alex moved forward side by side. They wove their way through the giant maze of boxes towards the door that led to Kent's office. About half way there, Hunter stopped. She nodded to the ceiling. In the darkness, Alex made out the form of a smoke detector. Hunter gave him a questioning look. Alex nodded. They both holstered their guns. Hunter crouched down and laced her fingers together, palms up, to make a foothold. Alex put his foot on it and swung himself up onto the stack of crates. He was just able to reach the smoke detector. It only took a few seconds to disable it. Once he had finished, he jumped down, landing lightly beside Hunter. They both drew their weapons and continued towards the door. They found the door to Kent's study had a lock on it. Hunter holstered her weapon, removed her lock picks from her backpack and set to work opening the lock. It only took a matter of seconds. She replaced the lock picks in her backpack and redrew her weapon. The door swung silently open. The office was empty. They closed the door carefully behind them. They found a smoke detector above Kent's desk. Hunter climbed up and disabled it. That done, they moved towards the stairs.

The stairs were polished wood with cream-colored carpet running down the center. Alex and Hunter made their way silently up the stairs, careful to make as little noise as possible. Upstairs, they found themselves on a carpeted landing. There were four doors made of the same polished wood as the stairs. Two were strait ahead and two were to their left. They knew from the floor plans that the two strait ahead led to a kitchen and living room while the two to the right led to a bathroom and bedroom. Hunter motioned for Alex to take the kitchen and living room. He nodded. Hunter went to the first door on the left, which according to the plans was the bathroom, while Alex took the second door strait ahead, which led to the living room.

Alex entered the living room with his gun drawn. The room was empty. He lowered his gun and studied his surroundings. The walls were white and the floor was covered in a thick, dark blue carpet. Against the far wall was a tan couch and in front of it sat a mahogany coffee table. On the wall across from the couch was a flat screen TV and above the couch hung a large picture of a desert sunset. There were two windows, one on either side of the couch that overlooked the compound. On the coffee table lay a neatly folded newspaper and a TV remote. Alex saw that a smoke detector hung above the coffee table. He quickly holstered his gun and disassembled it. That done, he redrew his gun and moved back to the landing and into the kitchen.

The kitchen was also plain. The floor was wooden and the walls were painted a pale cream color. There was one window on the far wall that was facing the side of the compound. Along the wall facing Alex was a row of marble counter tops with a sink, a dishwasher, and a stove. Wooden cabinets hung above the counter. There was a plain, oval, wooden table in the center of the room along with several chairs. There was a smoke detector above the stove. It only took Alex a few seconds to disable it.

Now that the smoke detectors were taken care of, he moved over to an empty corner. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the bottle of lighter fluid Hunter had given him. He opened the bottle and began pouring the contents onto the wooden floor. He soaked the area thoroughly, using the entire bottle (it was a small bottle). Once he was satisfied that the area was thoroughly soaked, he tossed the empty bottle into the corner and moved over to the window. He slid it carefully open. He cautiously leaned out to see if there were any guards about. There weren't. So far, so good. He pulled a length of rope out of his backpack and tied the end to the table leg. He gave it a few tugs to make sure it was secure before he moved back to the window. He tossed the end out of the window. He leaned out the window again and looked down. There was a bit of rope to spare. Good. He pulled back inside and straitened up. He ran his gaze over the room. Everything was ready on his end.

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**Meanwhile…**

Hunter entered the first door on the left with her gun raised. Sure enough, it was the bathroom. The walls were pale blue and the floor was tiled with medium blue tiles. There was a bathtub, shower, toilet, and sink. There was no smoke detector. She moved on to the next room, Kent's bedroom.

The walls were painted white and the carpet was a dark blue. The bed was a more modern style with white sheets and pillows and a medium blue comforter. Beside the bed was a wooden nightstand with a lamp and an alarm clock on it. On the far wall there was a desk and chair. There was a closet in the corner and two windows overlooking the compound along with a window that looked out the side of the building. Kent was asleep on the bed. Hunter made her way silently over to the bed. She prodded Kent awake with the gun. He opened his eyes. When he saw her, his eyes filled with rage.

"One wrong move and you die." She hissed. He met her gaze defiantly, but he didn't make a move to do anything. "Get up." She ordered. He grudgingly complied. She prodded him in the direction of the chair. She pulled it out and forced him to sit. She grabbed a length of rope from her backpack, all the while keeping the gun aimed at Kent. She began to tie his hands behind his back. He tried to break free. She pistol-whipped him across the face. He swore violently and attempted to lunge at her. She pistol-whipped him again and kneed him in the groin. He doubled over. She roughly pushed him back into the chair tied his hand painfully behind his back. The ropes cut off his circulation, but she didn't care. He would die soon anyway. Once she was satisfied he couldn't escape, she went over to the desk. She rummaged through the different drawers. It was mostly useless stuff. The only useful things she found where a few guns, some extra ammunition, a few knives and several blueprints for different kinds of bombs. She shoved them all in her backpack. She then went over to the closet and dug through the contents. It was mainly just clothes. But she found what she was looking for near the back. Set in the wall was a safe. There were several complicated locks. She took out her lock picks and set to work.

After several minutes, she got practically nowhere. She cursed and went back over to the desk. She dug through the drawers again, spilling the contents on the floor. She didn't have much time. She went over every drawer thoroughly, looking for a secret compartment that could contain a key to the safe. Just when she was about to give up, her hand brushed against something metal. It was a small lever. She pulled on it and was rewarded with a faint click. A small compartment in the bottom of the drawer was revealed. It contained a key. Hunter took it and hurried over to the safe. She fit it in the lock and turned it. The door swung open easily. The safe contained stacks of hundred dollar bills. She grinned in triumph and took off her backpack. She opened it and shoved the money inside.

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Alex felt somewhat guilty. Innocent teenagers were going to die because of this. _No. _He thought._ They're not innocent. They are here to train to be assassins. They will die eventually anyway. This will save countless lives._ He reasoned. He pushed away the guilt. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way. Plus, it was too late to back out now. _Get a grip Alex. _He mentally scolded himself. He took a deep breath. He reached his hand up to the Bluetooth system in his ear.

"Both rooms are secure. Everything is in place." The system crackled. Hunter's voice came over the line.

_"Copy that. Everything's clear on this end. I'll be over soon."_

"Copy that." A few seconds later, Hunter entered the room.

"Ready?" Hunter asked. Alex nodded. Hunter made her way over to the window. She nodded to Alex. He took out the lighter. He lit it and tossed it onto the floor where he had soaked it with lighter fluid. The flame caught quickly. Hunter swung herself out the window and slid down the rope. Alex was right behind her. As they hit the ground, a guard came around the corner. He yelped in surprise when he saw them. Hunter drew their weapon and fired. The shot echoed in the still night air as the guard crumpled to the ground. There were yells as the other guards heard the commotion and came running. Hunter and Alex ran for the nearest cover. They made to the cover of the nearest building just as the guards rounded the corner of the house.

Alex and Hunter ran crouched through the shadows, making towards storage shed three. They were almost there when they heard the explosion. The two-story stone building behind them turned into a blazing ball of fire. The debris scattered everywhere. Recruits were stumbling out of the barracks and guards and officers were running everywhere. It was complete chaos. No one noticed the two black clad figures that slipped into storage shed three.

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Alex and Hunter slipped silently into storage shed three. They jogged over to where the jeep was waiting.

"You ever fired a gun out of a moving vehicle?" She asked. Alex shook his head.

"No, but I think I can do it." Hunter nodded.

"Good. We will probably need it." Hunter began hotwiring the car while Alex jumped into the back and grabbed his duffle bag. He brought out his Enfield L86A1 LSW machine gun. He made sure it was loaded and ready before closing the duffle bag and climbing into the passenger's seat. The jeep started up and Hunter jumped in the driver's seat. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Ready?" She asked. Alex took a deep breath and nodded.

"Should I open the door?" Asked Alex. Hunter grinned mischievously.

"Nope. Takes too much time." With that, she floored the gas pedal. The jeep leapt forward, and they both ducked as the jeep crash through the door. For a moment Hunter wrestled to get the jeep under control, but she managed to finally without crashing into anything. She swerved in the direction of the gate. Guards, recruits, and officers dived out of their way as they barreled across the compound. Hunter swerved to avoid a shower of bullets. Alex turned around in his seat and aimed as best as he could at the gunmen and fired multiple rounds in rapid succession. Several men went down. Meanwhile, the gate was rapidly approaching. Hunter yelled for Alex to duck. When the gate was a few feet away, they ducked down and covered their heads with their arms. They smashed through the gate. Once again, Hunter fought for control of the vehicle. She managed to get it under control once more and eased off the gas pedal. She reached up and peeled off her balaclava. Alex followed suit. Hunter fished her enV out of her pocket. She grinned at Alex.

"You might want to look behind you." She said. Alex turned. Hunter dialed a series of numbers. There was a resounding boom as the entire compound turned into one giant fireball behind them. Hunter grinned. "That went very well." She said cheerfully. "We even got some profit out of it." Alex gave her a questioning look. She smirked. She tossed him her backpack. "I found several high quality weapons to add to our collection along with blue prints for some very high tech bombs that he invented. Oh, and, I found his money safe. I emptied it." Alex whistled as he looked through the loot.

"There's almost half a million U.S. dollars (1) in here." Hunter nodded.

"We also have the million he paid me. Unfortunately, the rest of his money is in a bank account. I'll see if I can manage to transfer it to one of mine."

"How many do you have?" He asked curiously. Hunter shrugged.

"Four. I don't like to keep all my money in one incase MI6 or someone like that finds out about one and shuts it down. I don't have all my money in the bank either. I don't entirely trust banks, but it would be impossible to keep all that money in cash." Alex nodded.

"Make's sense. Where are we going?"

"We're going to stop by the town of Yurimaguas. It's quite small. But we can spend the night in a Black Circle safe house there. We'll pick up supplies and switch vehicles while we're at it. We will go to Iquitos in the morning." Alex shrugged.

"Sounds fine by me."

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**A/N: Well folks, there you have it. Please review and tell me what you think of it…you know you want to.**

**(1) I will be using U.S. money in this story. I am from the U.S., so I don't exactly know how the amounts translate into English money. Sorry about my stupidity.**


	12. The Safe House

**A/N: There will be some technical things in this chapter as far as high-end equipment and stuff. I don't know an abundance about computers and stuff like that, but I did a little research. Please correct me if I get anything wrong. **

**Cat 2 – Thanks. And no. I most definitely will not pull the 'John Rider is alive'. I agree, that would totally ruin it.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thank you. Tha action part was fun to write. I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the money translations.**

**SheWeapon1 – I'm glad you liked it. Here is the next chapter. **

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Chapter 11: The Safe House

Almost an hour later, a beat up desert camouflaged jeep pulled up in front of a small house on the edge of the village of Yurimaguas. Hunter turned off the engine and her and Alex jumped out. They grabbed their bags from the back of the jeep and made their way to the front door of the house.

On the outside, the house looked like most of the other houses around it. It was only one story. The outside was white and it had green shutters. The yard looked like it needed mowed, the fence around it needed a few repairs, and the paint was starting to peel in some places, but other than that, it was in good condition. The blinds were all drawn so passers by could not see in. It looked pretty much empty.

But Alex and Hunter didn't seem to notice. They made their way up the walks to the front door. Hunter pulled a key out of her pocket and fitted it in the lock. The door opened silently and the two teens stepped inside. The inside was in slightly better condition than the outside. It was sparsely furnished and was more modern than the accommodations at the compound.

"You can have the bed room. It's down the hall, second door to your left." Said Hunter, throwing her things on the couch.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Asked Alex. Hunter gestured to the couch.

"I don't sleep much anyway." Alex shrugged.

"Fine by me." He followed her directions and put his things in the small bedroom down the hall. He took off all of his weapons and put them in his duffle bag. When he returned, Hunter had her laptop out and was typing away furiously. Alex looked over her shoulder at the computer screen. "Trying to transfer the Black Circle's money to your bank account?" He asked. Hunter nodded.

"I hacked into the Black Circle's database before we blew the place up. I got a hold of the account information." She replied.

"Nice." After a few minutes, Alex went over to the kitchen in search of something to eat. He found several cans of soup, one of which he opened. He poured it into a bowl and heated it up in the microwave. Once it was done, he ate it and put the bowl and spoon in the dishwasher. He went back into the living room. "I'm going to try and catch a bit of sleep if that's all right." He said. Hunter nodded absently.

"Hmm. Yea. Sure. Go ahead." Alex made his way down the hall to the bedroom where he collapsed into bed.

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It was six thirty when Alex woke up. He rolled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom and took a ten-minute shower. He then changed into his jeans and T-shirt. Feeling very refreshed from the shower, he went to the kitchen to find something to satisfy his hunger. All there was to eat was more soup. He heated up a can of it and wolfed it down, not really caring what kind it was. He shoved the bowl and spoon in the dishwasher. It was then that he noticed the note on the kitchen table. It was Hunter's handwriting.

_Alex,_

_I'll be back soon. I just need to get a few things. Make sure you have all your equipment ready and your stuff packed when I get back. We will have a few last minute things to do when I get back before we leave for Iquitos. _

_ Hunter_

Alex looked out the window. The jeep was gone. He also noticed that Hunter's backpack was gone. For a moment, he wondered if she had abandoned him. But then he saw that most of her equipment was still there. That meant she was at least coming back for that. He headed back to his room and fetched his bags and took them into the living room. He sat down on the couch and opened the duffle bag. He took out his Enfield L86A1 LSW machine gun and cleaned and reloaded it. He then checked over his other weapons. They were all in good condition. He also checked his other equipment. His gadgets were all intact, as was the other equipment. He carefully repacked everything. That done, he had nothing to do. Alex pulled out his ipod, put in the earphones, and selected a random song. He stretched out on the couch and closed his eyes.

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Mrs. Jones hurried into Alan Blunt's office. Blunt looked up from the report he had been reading. Mrs. Jones did not look happy.

"We have a report from one of the surveillance team near the Black Circle's headquarters. It says that around midnight last night someone blew up the entire complex." Blunt just nodded.

"Any news on Alex?" Mrs. Jones frowned.

"That's the problem. The team said that it must have been someone from the inside. They there was no way that anyone could have been in there and survived. But about an hour afterwards, two teens show up at the Black Circle safe house in Yurimaguas. No one got a real good look at them, but from the brief description we were given, I am ninety-nine percent sure that one of them was Alex. Looking at the description they gave us of the other teen, I'm pretty sure he was with that girl Hunter." Blunt frowned.

"Did he go willingly?" Mrs. Jones shrugged.

"We don't know. As I said, no one really got a good look at them."

"I think it's safe to assume that Alex did not go willingly."

"Alex turned on us once before. What's to say that he didn't decide to again?"

"He has been loyal to us ever since the Scorpia incident. He has showed no signs of going back."

"I think he has been waiting for an opportunity like this ever since then. He only came back to us because he had to. Alan, you and I both know he can't totally be trusted. He fought against us from the beginning. He hasn't been the same since Scorpia. We can't just assume he will stay loyal to us." Blunt thought for a moment before answering.

"Very well. We will consider both possibilities. Tell the surveillance team to see if they can get proof whether or not Alex is there willingly. Until we get proof one way or another, we will assume that he is a hostage." Mrs. Jones frowned.

"You do realize how disastrous this could turn out to be if Alex is there of his own free will don't you?" She asked. Blunt nodded coolly.

"I am very aware of it."

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It was almost a half an hour later when Hunter returned. Alex sat up and turned off the ipod when he heard the car drive up. He looked out the window. Hunter had evidently traded the beat up jeep for a new red one. He took out the earphones and shoved the ipod in his backpack as Hunter entered the house. She was carrying a white canvas bag that she hadn't had earlier along with her backpack. She gave him a small smile when she entered. She flopped down on the couch and began rummaging through the canvas bag. She motioned for Alex to come over. He did, mainly because he was curious as to what she had.

"We will need to change our appearances if we are to get out of the country undetected. There are people watching this house as we speak, but that shouldn't cause too much of a problem." Said Hunter. Alex looked slightly surprised at the last part. Hunter grinned. "First thing you need to know how to do when you lead this kind of life is how to know when someone's watching you. MI6 agents think they're so covert, when in reality they suck." Alex smirked at this statement.

"So true." He replied. Hunter pulled two bottles of black hair dye.

"You any good at dying hair?" She asked. Alex nodded.

"I've had to do it a few times." Hunter tossed him a bottle of hair dye.

"Good. Go dye your hair with that." Alex made his way to the bathroom where he began the painstaking process of dying his hair.

A little over an hour later, Alex emerged from the bathroom. His hair was now black. He had a partially empty bottle in one hand. Hunter looked him up and down. She reached into her canvas bag and brought out a set of contacts and handed them to him.

"Put these in. They will make your eyes look blue." She said. Alex retreated to the bathroom once more. This time when he came out, his transformation was complete. He now had black hair and blue eyes instead of blond hair and brown eyes. Hunter grinned.

"They won't recognize you." She said with approval. Alex frowned.

"Won't they know it's me though because if they're watching us, they will know that we are the only ones here." Hunter smirked.

"We won't let them see our faces. We'll have our hoods up when we go out." She tossed him a light hooded sweatshirt. He made a face. "Don't worry, I'll be wearing one too. It will only be when we are in populated areas anyway. We will see them if they try to follow us in the open desert." Alex sighed.

"You have a point." Hunter snagged the other bottle of hair dye and the second set of contacts.

"By the way, we'll be posing as brother and sister. I'm going to go die my hair. Once I'm done I can fix you up with a fake i.d. and passport." Alex looked at her questioningly.

"How are you going to do that on such a short notice?" H e asked. Hunter smirked.

"This is…was a Black Circle safe house. The equipment we need is all here." With that, she disappeared into the bathroom. Alex sighed and flopped down on the couch. He listened to some more music while he waited for Hunter.

An hour later, a black haired, blue-eyed Hunter stepped out of the bathroom, empty hair dye bottle in hand. She tossed it casually into the trashcan on her way to the living room. Alex turned off his ipod and took out the earphones when he noticed her. He noticed that she had also straitened her hair and changed into bell-bottom jeans and a green spaghetti strap top. She went over to the hall closet and pulled out a cardboard box of equipment labeled 'passports, i.d.s, and driver's licenses'. She brought out a high tech camera. She had Alex stand up against the blank white wall and snapped several pictures. Once she was satisfied, took the camera over and plugged it into her laptop. Alex watched as she took a portable printer out of the cardboard box and plugged it into her laptop also. She brought a pack of some kind of special paper out of the box and loaded it into the printer. She then transferred the pictures of Alex from the camera to the computer and picked the best one and used a photo-editing program (1) to edit and crop it. Once she was satisfied, she took a CD out of the box and inserted it into her computer. A program Alex didn't recognize popped up. Seeing the confusion on his face, she explained.

"It's a passport, i.d., and driver's license forging program that the Black Circle's computer techs invented. It is so much easier than the way everyone else does it." Alex nodded. He watched as Hunter simply copied his photo from the editing program into the forging program. She filled in his information and the program put it into the format of an i.d. and a passport. Hunter printed out both of them. She took a high-tech portable laminating machine out of the box and laminated the i.d. She then took a British passport case (1) out of the box and inserted the printout into it (2). She handed them both to Alex. He looked at the name on them. It was Brian Foster. He looked at Hunter.

"So what's your alias?" He asked.

"Andrea Foster. I'm your 'sister'." Alex nodded.

"What's your real name anyway? It's not Hunter is it?" He had been wanting to ask that for some time. Hunter shook her head. She studied him for a moment.

"I guess it's only fair since I know yours. It's Andrea. Andrea McLain. But you can just call me Andy." Alex studied her, trying to decide if she was lying or not. After a few minutes, he decided that she was telling the truth. He nodded.

"So, when are we flying out?" He asked, changing the subject.

"At 1:00."

"Where exactly are we going?"

"England. London to be exact." Alex looked confused.

"Why are we going there? That's where MI6 is."

"Therefore, that's the last place they will expect us to be."

"Good point." He looked at his watch.

"It's 11:03 now. We should get going." Hunter (or Andy as we shall now call her) nodded. She went over to the cardboard box full of forging materials. She couldn't take all of it with her, so she just took the stuff she wouldn't be able to easily get. That included the forging program invented by the Black Circle and the passport cases. She shoved those items in her duffle bag and closed it. She checked the rest of her equipment before pulling on the hooded sweatshirt and backpack and slinging the duffle bag over her shoulder. Alex did the same. They double-checked that they had gotten everything before pulling their hoods up. Andy pulled out a bottle of lighter fluid and dumped it all over the floor. She then took out a small package wrapped in brown paper (3) and tossed it to the side of the puddle of fluid. Next she took out a small lighter (4) and lit it, tossing it onto the floor covered in fluid. They ran out the door and threw their bags in the back of the jeep and climbed in. Andy was in driver's seat again and Alex sat beside her in the passenger's seat. Andy put the key in the ignition and turned it. The jeep started smoothly. Andy floored the gas pedal. They sped down the main street of town. A few seconds later, an explosion rocked the air. But the red jeep sped onward, ignoring the flying debris and the chaos that was going on around them. It was only a few minutes before they reached the open desert. Once they were well away from town and they were sure they weren't being followed, they flipped down their hoods and took off their sweatshirts. Andy pulled a pair of designed sunglasses out of her bag and put them on. Alex pulled out his. In the daytime, they worked just like regular sunglasses. At night, they were night vision glasses.

The empty dirt road stretched out before them, winding like a thick brown snake out across the desert. They could see for miles in every direction and the town was fast disappearing into the distance behind them. They were all alone on the winding dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Alex settled back in his seat. He slowly drifted off into a light sleep.

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**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think of it. I'll give you a cookie. ( : )**

**(1) I think that's what it's called. Please correct me if I'm wrong.**

**(2) Isn't that what they do with passports? Once again, please correct me if I'm wrong.**

**(3) (a small bomb)**

**(4) It's the really little pocket kind. **


	13. The Hunt Begins

**A/N: Some of you may have noticed that I changed the summery. That is because this is turning out slightly different than I had planned, though I like this one better than what I had originally planned to do. I reposted the first chapter with the full version of the new summery.  
**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thanks.**

**Aquanova – Thanks. I know there wasn't a lot of action. Hopefully this chapter will make up for that.**

**Cat 2 – Thank you. I'm glad you like it.**

**SheWeapon1 - Thanks. I'm glad you like it. I agree with you about the explosives (I love blowing things up!).**

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Chapter 12: The Hunt Begins

Blunt was reading over the surveillance team's report when Mrs. Jones walked in.

"We've just received another report from the surveillance team. It's seems as if Alex is there of his own free will. He and Hunter have picked up another car. They've left the safe house and they think they are headed to the city of Iquitos. It is the closest city with an airport. It's only an hour's drive away. They also blew up the safe house right before they left. There is nothing left of it. The surveillance team can't follow them without being seen. The desert is flat, you can see for miles in every direction. The road is practically empty." Blunt frowned.

"Get teams to Iquitos ASAP. There is only on road they can use to get there from Yurimaguas. Have a team waiting to pick up their trail as soon as the get there. Have teams covering the airport and have at least two teams on stand by in case they head anywhere else. I want to get their photos out to all airports ASAP. We can't let them escape." Mrs. Jones hurried out of the room to track down the necessary people.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was almost an hour later when Andy shook Alex awake. He opened his eyes, only to close them again because of the blinding sunlight, even though he had sunglasses on. Once his eyes adjusted to the light properly, he noticed that he could see the city of Iquitos in the distance.

"You should put that on when we get a little closer to the city." She said, motioning to the sweatshirt. Alex nodded silently. He noticed that she already had hers on. He silently pulled on the sweatshirt, but he didn't pull up the hood yet.

When they were a little closer to the city, Andy and Alex pulled up their hoods. There was getting to be more and more traffic on the road, as it turned from dirt to paved. Side roads came together and the road began to widen. By the time they reached the city, the road had become more crowded. Andy wove her way skillfully through the chaos of the main street. Luckily, the airport was near the edge of the city. It didn't take them long to reach it. They pulled into the parking lot and parked as close to entrance as possible. Andy turned off the jeep and pulled out the keys. She put them in the glove box before getting out and grabbing her bags from the back. Alex too climbed out and got his bags and followed her towards the entrance.

"Are we just going to let the jeep there?" He asked. Andy shrugged.

"They probably know it's ours by now. We were probably followed here. They will most likely pick it up and search for evidence. All they will find is our fingerprints, the car keys, and the spare tire in the back. There is nothing in there of use to them. So they're welcome to it," Alex nodded. By this time they had entered the air-conditioned building. Andy nodded in the direction of the bathroom. "Go in there and take your sweatshirt off. You can stuff it in your bag where no one will see it." Alex looked at her questioningly. "Just do it. I'll do the same. I will explain later." Alex, seeing that he wouldn't get anything out of her right then, turned and made his way casually into the bathroom.

Andy swept her gaze over the crowd. Her eyes rested on a tall man dressed in a suit that was standing about ten feet away. He was carrying a brief case with him and talking on his cell phone. He looked like just another businessman. She would have bet a lot of money that he was talking to either another operative or someone higher up. To the average person, he would have looked calm and relaxed, but Andy saw through that. He was tense and alert. She saw him glance in her direction a few times. Each time, she stared him strait in the eyes. He looked away quickly each time. After a few minutes, Andy disappeared into the bathroom to take off her sweatshirt.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Jonathan Callahan stood casually by the bathrooms near the entrance to the airport. He was dressed in a suit and tie and had a brief case in his right hand. He held his cell phone up to his ear and acted like he was talking to someone. He looked like just another businessman talking on the phone. In reality, he was an under cover MI6 agent and the phone was actually a four way radio that allowed him to talk to his teammates who were all stationed at different points throughout the airport. It was his job to watch the front entrance for their targets. The radio/phone crackled to life.

_"Bravo two this is Bravo one. Red jeep matching description and license number of the target's car has been sighted pulling into the airport parking lot. Targets have exited the vehicle and are headed towards the front entrance." _

"Bravo one this is Bravo two, copy your location." Replied Callahan. Just then, he spotted their targets entering the airport. They were headed his direction. "Bravo three this is Bravo two. Targets have entered the building through the front entrance."

_"Bravo two this is Bravo three. Copy your location." _The two suspects had stopped and were quietly conversing. Then he saw one go into the men's restroom. The second hesitated, scanning the crowds. Her eyes fell on him. She stared at him intently. He quickly looked away. He sneaked a look at her a few times. Every time she stared him strait in the eyes. Finally, she disappeared into the woman's restroom.

"Commander one this Bravo two. I'm pretty sure the female target recognized me. They know we're here. We need to back off a bit."

_"Bravo two this is Commander one. Copy that. Back off a bit, but don't lose them. We don't want to scare them off."_

"Commander one this is Bravo two. Copy that." He replied. He kept the phone to his ear as he strolled casually over to bench a little farther away from the bathrooms and sat down. He discreetly watched the bathrooms, waiting for the suspects to emerge. A few minutes later, a black haired, blue-eyed boy exited the men's restroom. He leaned against the wall as if waiting for someone. He wasn't the target, so Callahan didn't pay him much attention. Seconds later, a black haired, blue eyed girl exited the Woman's restroom. She made her way over to the boy. Together, they made their way towards security. They looked like brother and sister. Callahan paid them no attention. For the next fifteen minutes, he discreetly watched the two restrooms. Neither of them came out. He was starting to get worried.

"Commander one this is Bravo two. Suspects entered the restrooms fifteen minutes ago. They have not reappeared."

_"Bravo two this is Commander one. Are you saying you lost them?"_

"Negative Commander one. I'm saying they haven't come out yet. There are no other exits. They couldn't have come out another way." The man on the other end swore.

_"Bravo five this is Commander one. Head over to Bravo two's position. Bravo five take the woman's restroom, Bravo two take the men's."_

_"Commander one this is Bravo five. I am headed over there right now."_ Not too long later, a young "business woman" appeared. She gave a slight nod to Callahan. She casually entered the woman's restroom while Callahan did the same with the men's. Their search came up empty. Their targets were gone. They had disappeared into thin air.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**Meanwhile…**

When Andy exited the bathroom, she saw Alex leaning casually up against the wall. She made her way over to him. She noticed that the MI6 agent had moved further down the hall. He was sitting on a bench where he had a clear view of the bathrooms. His gaze swept over her. Good. He didn't recognize her. She nodded discreetly to Alex and they began walking towards security. They passed very close to the operative, but he looked past them. She resisted the urge to smirk. _Idiot. _She thought. _They think they're so good. _Andy was pulled from her thoughts as they approached security. She sighed. This was always the part about flying that she hated.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Andy sat quietly in her seat, staring out the window. They were on a plane flying over South America on their way to London, England. They had gotten through security without a hitch. They had seen the security officers comparing their passport photos with two others. They assumed that they were their own photos that MI6 had presumably sent to all of the airports. Andy had spotted several other agents mingling with the crowds after they had gotten through security. They had done their best to avoid them without being obvious. They had succeeded. They were safely on the plane and MI6 had no clue where they were. That's the way they wanted it to be. Andy sat back in her seat and turned up the volume on her ipod (well, actually it was Alex's, she had swiped it while he was sleeping). This was going to be a long trip.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"What do you mean they disappeared?" Mrs. Jones's tone was cold and deadly. It was one of the few times she had showed any amount of emotion. She was furious, and the man standing before her knew it.

"I'm sorry. My men were tailing them. They went into the bathrooms at the airport and didn't come out. After fifteen minutes, I sent agents in to check if they were still there. They were gone. It was like they vanished into thin air." The man was clearly nervous.

"But you had them. They were only a few feet away from one of your agents. Where are they now? People can't just _vanish_. Where are they?"

"I…I don't…I don't know." The man was getting extremely nervous at this point.

"Then find them. I want no mistakes this time. Failure will _not _be tolerated. Do I make my self clear?" She hissed. The man nodded hurriedly. She smiled coldly at him. "Then good day Commander. I hope for your sake that you succeed this time." She said, clearly dismissing him. He couldn't seem to get out the door fast enough. As soon as the door shut behind him, Mrs. Jones sank back into her chair. She all of a sudden looked tired and worn. She could believe this was happening. She knew Alex resented the fact that they used him so much. But she hadn't thought he'd go as far as to turn completely on them. She hoped that he hadn't found out about…the incident. She was pretty sure he hadn't. But that would only make things worse if he did find out. _We are the only ones alive anymore who know the truth about him. There is nothing to worry about._ She chided herself. If only she knew how wrong she was…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: I know it was short and there wasn't much action of any account. But it will have to do. It's basically a filler chapter. Please review and tell me what you think about it.**

**Questions:**

**1. Do you think MI6 will find them?**

**2. What do you think "**_**the incident"**_** was?**

**3. What do you think Mrs. Jones was talking about at the end when she said '**_**We are the only ones alive anymore who know the truth about him.'**_**?**

**4. Do you think the **_**him**_** she was talking about was Alex or someone else? If not Alex then who?**

**Not all the answers will be revealed right away. So you will have a little time to think about the last three questions.**


	14. London

**A/N: I did a bit of research about the layout of London for this chapter. All of the street names are from maps of London that I found on Google. So all of the street names are pretty much accurate. I took some liberties with the location of the flat, minor buildings (such as restaurants, shops, etc.). Also, there will be some dialog in Chinese in this chapter. The translations are at the bottom of the page. Please forgive me if I made any mistakes with the Chinese. I used an online English-Chinese dictionary that translated the stuff for me. looks sheepish I don't even speak Chinese (though I am going to learn hopefully).**

**Cat 2 – Maybe…maybe not. You'll just have to wait and see.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

**CGIB – Thanks. I'll email you.**

**SheWeapon1 – I'm glad you like it so far. Thank you for answering all the questions. You're the only one so far who did. As far as the answers… grins evilly You'll just have to wait and find out.**

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Chapter 13: London

Alex flopped down onto the bed. It was 10:08 A.M. in London. They had landed at Heathrow airport at exactly 8:00 A.M. London time (1). Andy and Alex were staying in one of Andy's safe houses. It was a flat on King Williams Street.

It was a two bedroom flat with a kitchen, living room, bathroom, laundry room, and a small spare room in the back. The furniture was modern as was the décor. It really wasn't anything that fancy and it barely looked lived in. Andy had given him the second bedroom down the short hall. It was about the size of his old bedroom and was decorated in a modern fashion. The furniture consisted of a bed, dresser, desk, chair, closet, and a bedside table with a lamp on it. Andy had said that from now on, this would be his room whenever they were there. She had told him that they needed to get some things after they had eaten. He figured that some of those things they needed to get were for him because he couldn't exactly go back to his house to get them. Thinking of his house made him remember Jack. He realized she had no idea what was going and that he wasn't coming back. He hurried out of his room and found Andy sitting on the couch in the living room watching TV.

"Hey Andy. I just remembered, I need to call my guardian and tell her I won't be coming back." Andy frowned.

"Won't MI6 notify her?" She asked. Alex sighed.

"Yes, they will. But I want to talk to her while I still have a chance. They probably haven't contacted her yet." Andy looked undecided for a moment.

"Alright. You can use my phone. But don't talk very long. We don't know for sure that they haven't contacted her yet." Alex nodded. Andy tossed him her enV. He quickly dialed the number that he had memorized by heart and made his way to his room where he could talk to Jack alone. He dreaded making this call. The phone rang three times before someone picked up. He heard Jack's all too familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey Jack." He said. "It's me, Alex."

"_Alex! Are you all right? When are you coming home? Did anything ha…"_

"Calm down Jack. I'm…I'm fine." Jack noticed the sadness in his voice.

_Alex, what's wrong?"_

"Jack…I…I won't be coming home." There was silence on the other end for a moment.

"_Alex, what do you mean you won't be coming home?" _He could hear the fear in her voice.

"I'm done working for MI6. They destroyed way too much of my life. I can't let them control me any more." He finished softly.

"_Alex…you haven't…"_

"Yes Jack. I have." Once again, there was silence on the other end for a moment.

"_Alex, we all know what happened last time you did this…please don't do this Alex." _She practically begged.Alex smiled a sad, bitter smile.

"It's a little too late for that Jack. I'm afraid there's no turning back now, not this time around."

"_Alex…you haven't joined…them again, have you?"_

"No! Most definitely not! I've joined…someone else."

"_Alex…"_

"Look, I'm sorry you had to get mixed up in all this. Okay? I just wanted to say goodbye while it's still safe. I'm sorry Jack. I really am."

"_Alex, please, don't do this."_

"I don't have a choice Jack. I'm truly sorry. And, if anyone asks, I never called." Once again Jack was silent for a few moments.

"_Will I ever see you again?" _She whispered, her voice full of fear. This time it was Alex who was silent for a moment.

"Maybe some day." He whispered. He could hear Jack crying on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry Jack. I really am. Goodbye." He said.

"_I love you Alex." _She whispered.

"I love you too Jack. Thank you for…everything." With that he hung up. He took a deep breath before making his way back to the living room and returning the phone to Andy.

"You regretting your decision?" She asked. Alex shook his head.

"A small part of me is. But the bigger part of me isn't. I just feel bad for Jack. I just hope MI6 leaves her alone." Andy studied him for a moment.

"I sort of know how you feel." Andy said softly. Alex gave her a questioning look. "I left behind a lot when I decided to leave home." She smiled sadly. "We have a lot more in common than you know Rider." She said. She got up and turned off the TV and headed to her room. "Get ready to go. We can grab something to eat before we get the things we need." She called behind her before she disappeared into her room.

Alex slowly got up and headed to his room. Andy's words echoed in his head.

_"I left behind a lot when I decided to leave home."_

" _We have a lot more in common than you know Rider."_

He tried to make sense of her words as he strapped the black band that held the holster for his Kahr P9 around his waist so the holster rested on the small of his back and put the gun in the holster. He also slipped his Ka Bar Fighting Knife (2) into his right boot. He made sure he had his watch on and slipped his "Bubble 0-7" chewing gum in his pocket and put on his survival belt. That done, he went out to the living room where Andy was waiting.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The two teens made their way out of the flat and took the lift down to the ground floor. They exited the building and made their way down King Williams Street. Three doors down was a small café. They entered the building and took a seat at one of the tables near the back. A cheery looking waitress hurried over to their table.

"Good day sir, ma'am. What can I get you to eat this morning?" She asked in an overly cheery voice. Alex studied the menu while Andy ordered. Once she was done, he ordered an omelet, bacon, and orange juice. After the waitress left, neither of them spoke for a few minutes. Finally it was Alex who broke the silence.

"How long are we staying here?" He asked.

"I'm not quite sure. It all depends on how fast MI6 manages to track us down. This the best place to hide right at the moment. So we'll stay here as long as we can." Alex nodded.

"Where exactly are we going after this?" He asked.

"We need a few things. One of my contacts here has a shop not too far from here." Alex didn't look very thrilled at the idea of shopping. He was about to say something else when the waitress returned with their meals. They fell silent. Alex noticed that Andy had ordered the same thing he had. Once the waitress left, they ate their meal in silence. Once they were finished, they paid their bill and left a tip on the table. Alex then followed Andy out of the building and down the street. They walked about a block before turning onto Southwark Street and walking another block and a half. They stopped in front of a small store. It looked like all of the other stores in the area. The sign above the door said _Zhuāng Shāng Diàn_ (3). He was pretty sure it was Chinese. Though he didn't know what it meant. Andy walked through the double doors. They found themselves in a clothing store, though Alex could see that they sold a few other things as well.

A young sales lady hurried over to them.

"Nĭ hăo shào nŭ shį, shào rén. Zĕn kĕ yĭ bĭ rén yuán zhù nî zhè tiān? (4)" She spoke in rapid Chinese.

"Wŏ rén yáo yŏu yán gĕi xiān sheng Cheng. (5)" Andy replied smoothly. The woman frowned.

"Bĭ rén shì jì tā shì máng dāng cĭ shí. (6)"

"Fēn fù xiān sheng Cheng hēng tè shí zhè lĭ. Tā jiāng yào dŭ wŏ men rán zé. (7)" The woman studied her for a moment.

"Hòu zhèr. (8)" She said. She disappeared through a door in the back marked 'Employees Only'. Alex gave Andy a questioning glance. She shrugged.

"Mr. Cheng is one of my main London contacts. He is the one that owns this store. He has helped me out on several occasions." Alex nodded.

"Why are we here anyway?" He asked.

"You need some more stuff. We can get things here that you can't get else where." Alex studied her for a moment and then shrugged.

"Okay. Whatever." Just then the sales woman returned.

"Xiān sheng Cheng jiāng yào dŭ nĭ. (9)" The sales lady led them through the 'Employees Only' door. They found themselves in a small warehouse full of racks of clothes and accessories. The woman led them past the racks and to an office in the back. She knocked sharply on the door three times.

"Jìn. (10)" Said a voice from within. The woman opened the door and led them into a small office. The only furniture was a modern looking desk and chair, filling cabinets, and two chairs in front of the desk. Sitting at the desk was a man that looked to be in his thirties. He looked like he was Chinese. He wore a black business suit. Everything was neat and organized. The man dismissed the sales woman and motioned for them to sit. They each took one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"So," He said in English. "What can I do for you this time Hunter?" He asked.

"As you can see, I have a new partner," She said, motioning to Alex. Cheng looked slightly amused. "We need a few things. The same stuff you got for me."

"I was always under the impression that you preferred to work alone." He said. Hunter's face showed no emotion.

"Things change. So, do you have the stuff or not?" Cheng studied her for a moment.

"Maybe. It all depends what you have to offer." He said. Hunter smirked. She picked up her canvas bag from the floor and opened it. She pulled out another black bag and set it on the desk. Cheng curiously opened it. His face lit up as he pulled out a variety of exotic weapons. Alex figured they were probably the ones Andy had taken from Kent.

"Fantastic! I have been searching all over for some of these. My clients will be thrilled!" He carefully examined each weapon. A smile spread across his face. "This will be enough to cover most of the equipment you need plus the fees you owe me for storing your motorbike while you were gone." Hunter nodded and pulled a wad of cash from the bag.

"Is this enough to cover the rest?" She asked, handing it too him. He nodded. "Good. Now we would like the equipment. We don't have much time to waist." Cheng reluctantly pulled himself away from the weapons. He replaced them in the bag and stood up, taking the bag with him. He motioned for them to follow him. He led them out of the office and to a door at the back of the warehouse. He fished a key out of his pocket and fitted it in the lock. Instead of the door opening, there was a small click and a finger print scanner appeared. He pressed his fingertips to the scanner. There was a small beep and the door unlocked. The finger print scanner disappeared into the wall and Cheng opened the door. He led them into another warehouse. This one was filled with weapons and what looked like more clothes. Though Alex highly doubted they were normal. Cheng led them over to a rack of clothes. He sized Alex up, and then he selected a black leather jacket. He tossed it to Alex.

"I think that will fit. Try it on." He commanded. Alex did as he was told. He found that it fit perfectly. He took it off again.

"It's bullet proof." Said Cheng. "It also has places to hide weapons. There is a place for a knife in both sleeves and places for two guns in concealed holsters on the inside. There is also a concealed pocket big enough to fit any documents you want to conceal and a smaller concealed pocket for any other items you want to conceal." He showed Alex each of the features. Then he went over to a shelf and selected a pair of black leather gloves. He tossed them to Alex who tried them on. Once again, they fit perfectly. "Those have extra grip on them. They come in handy if you have to climb something slippery." He turned to another shelf. This one held a variety of cell phones. He selected a BlackBerry. It was dark silver. "This looks like an innocent phone. And even though it works like a regular phone, it can also be a deadly bomb. If you enter this code," He handed Alex a slipped of paper with a series of numbers on it. "It will turn on the five second delay. This is powerful enough to take down an entire fifteen story building, though if you put it the right place in the building, it could potentially bring down a taller building." Alex nodded. He slipped the BlackBerry into his pocket along with the slip of paper. They then followed Cheng to the very back of the warehouse where there were several motor bikes sitting along one wall. Cheng walked over to a black Ducati Hypermotard 1100S that had red flames on the sides. He tossed the keys to Alex who instinctively caught them. Cheng brought down a black and red matching helmet and placed it on the seat of the bike.

"She's all yours." He said. "The only thing I mortified about it was I put a two way radio in the helmet. It can be connected to Hunter's radio that she has in hers. She knows how to connect them. " He turned to Andy. "Do you need anything else other than the standard equipment?" He asked. Andy nodded.

"Alex needs some things from the store out front." Cheng nodded.

"I will tell Sara, the sales lady, to bring you back to me once you have everything you need." He said.

"I think we'll take the other stuff back to the flat first. We'll come back for the bikes later."

"Fair enough. I'll tell Sara to bring you back to me when you return." Cheng led them back through both warehouses to the store out front. He left them to go talk to the sales lady. Alex turned to Andy.

"Who is he?" He whispered.

"He's a Chinese arms dealer. He is well known in the criminal under world, but no one else knows who he is. He is ruthless. So don't try and double cross him." Alex nodded.

"Doesn't sound like the kind of guy I would want to hang out with." Andy smirked.

"Me neither. I only see him when I have to. He gives me the creeps some days."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I should have known this was going to happen. We all know how good he is. We should have seen this coming." Said Mrs. Jones. She was standing by the window in Blunt's office, staring out over London.

"We should have, but we didn't. For the present, we must focus on the problem at hand, not on how things could, or should, have been." Said Blunt smoothly. Mrs. Jones turned to him.

"Do you think he…"

"No. He can't. We are the only ones alive who know what really happened. There is nothing to worry about." Mrs. Jones nodded.

"I know. But I can't stop feeling uneasy about this whole thing. What if we missed someone? What if there is someone out there that we don't know about?"

"We didn't. We got everyone. There is nothing to worry about." Mrs. Jones sighed.

"We need to find him before things get too out of control."

"I already have teams searching London from top to bottom and teams posted at all of the major airports all across England. I have a team on their way to his house as well."

"Do you really think they would come to London?"

"Yes. I do. Think about it, wouldn't London be the last place people would suspect them to be? It would seem like the least logical place for them to go. That in it's self makes it possibly one of the safest places to go. Plus, Alex's guardian lives here. He will probably want to see her." Mrs. Jones nodded. What he said made sense.

"Where in London do you think they are?"

"They probably have a safe house somewhere. That's what the search teams are for."

"I just hope we get to them in time."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After half an hour, Andy and Alex had everything they needed. They made sure they didn't get too much, other wise they wouldn't be able to take it all. Some of the things were high-end brands and the prices were insanely high, but Andy didn't seem to mind. She paid the bill without hesitation. They gathered up the bags and headed back to the flat.

Once there, Alex took his things in his room and Andy put the few things she had gotten in hers. The only things Alex didn't put away were the jacket, the gloves, the BlackBerry phone, and the keys to his new motorbike. He concealed both of his knives in the sleeves and the guns in the concealed holsters. He then put his gadgets in the smaller concealed pocket (with the exception of his watch, he kept that on). He pulled on the jacket and shoved the gloves in one pocket and the BlackBerry in the other pocket along with the keys to the motorbike. Then he made his way to the living room where Andy was waiting. She had on a similar black leather jacket.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"Yup."

"Got your keys?" She asked. Alex nodded. A faint smile crossed her face. "Let's go then. Once more, they headed out of the flat and down to the ground floor. They exited the building and made their way back to the Zhuāng Shāng Diàn.

It wasn't long before they found themselves in front of the small store. They entered casually. The sales lady, Sara, hurried over to them. Without a word, she led them into the back and to Cheng's office. Cheng dismissed her and led them into the second warehouse. Alex walked over to his new black and red motorbike while Andy went over to a bike that was sitting in the corner. Hers was completely black. They both picked up the helmets that were sitting on the seats of the bikes. Cheng used a remote control to open the garage door that was near by. Alex and Andy pushed their bikes out the door. They found themselves in an alley wide enough for a fair sized car to fit into. They bid Cheng farewell before putting on their helmets and starting their bikes. Andy revved the engine of hers. She looked at Alex. He nodded. They got on the bikes and started off down the alley. It only took them a few seconds to reach the street. They turned right and headed back towards the flat.

When they arrived back at the flat, they parked the bikes in the underground parking lot beneath the building in which the flat was located. They set their helmets on the seats of the bikes and pocketed the keys before making their way up to the flat.

They each went their separate ways when they reached the flat. Andy went to her bedroom while Alex flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. They were safe for the present. MI6 didn't know about the safe house. They didn't even know they were in London. For the moment, they could relax. They were safe…or so they thought.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: I need at least five reviews before I update.**

**(1) That's 3:00 A.M. in Peru time.**

**(2) The Ka Bar is one of my personal favorites, though I do not have one. :( **

**(3) Zhuāng Shāng Diàn is Chinese for 'clothing store'. I know, it's not very creative. But it's the best I could come up with.**

**(4) **"**Hello young lady, young man. How can I help you today?"**

**(5) **"**We need to speak to Mr. Cheng." **

**(6)** "**I am afraid he is busy right now."**

**(7) **" **Tell Mr. Cheng Hunter is here. He will see us then."**

**(8) **"**Wait here."**

**(9) **"**Mr. Cheng will see you."**

**(10) **"**Enter."**

**Pictures – **

**Alex's motor bike (the only difference is Alex's has flames, not the whole front part red): /Photos/2008DucatiHypermotard1100S1.jpg**

**Hunter's motorbike: ****media./files/9109/vehicle/472f4560b1f95/041280.jpg**

**(The links to the pictures don't show up as links on here. I think if you select the link and right click it, you can select "search Google for..." and that should bring up the link. If that doesn't work, please PM me.)**


	15. Blank Pages

**A/N: This is a very short chapter. It's only about Jack and her reaction to everything that's happened so far. Some of you said the links didn't work. If you go to Google images and type in Ducati Hypermotard 1100S, a bunch of pictures should pop up. The very first picture (in the top left corner) should be of a motor bike that is black with the front half red. That one is Alex's, though his has flames instead of the whole front half red. There are several pictures of totally black motor bikes, they all look like Andy's motor bike.**

**Fan O' Fanfic - Thank you. I've been attached to the idea of Alex going rogue for quite some time. **

**freakily obsessed Yassen fan - I'm glad you like it. This chapter is just about Jack, but the next chapter will have Andy and Alex in it.**

**beachbum454 - I'm glad you like it.**

**AleksandryaGregonovitch - Thanks. **

**Cat 2 - I'm glad you like it. You'll just have to wait and find out.**

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Chapter 14: Blank Pages

Jack sat on the couch in the living room. A cardboard box sat by her feet. She carefully opened it. It contained several photo albums that she had put together over the years. She picked up the first one and opened it. There were pictures of Alex when he was a baby. A single tear slid down her face. She had not known him until he was seven, but she could imagine what he had been like, so innocent and full of energy.

She looked at his sweet little face, staring back at her from the page. His dark brown eyes were so full of innocence and trust. Another tear slid down her face as she slowly turned the pages. All of the pictures were ones taken after his parent's death. As far as she knew, there were no pictures from before John and Helen had died.

As she turned the pages, more tears slid down her cheeks. It broke her heart to see pictures of the innocent little boy that lost so much at such a young age. He hadn't done anything to deserve it. He had only been a baby when his parents were killed in a plane crash. He had been forced to grow not knowing his parents.

Each page brought more tears. She couldn't help it. She sat there for a long time, just looking at the photo albums. Tears streamed down her face. It was the last album that really hit her hard. The pictures of Alex after he started working for MI6 broke her heart. In all of the other pictures, you could see the innocence and trust in his deep brown eyes. But in the last pictures, that was all gone. His eyes no longer held the innocence and trust that they once had. They looked like they had seen too much, things that no child should see. In truth, they had. They had seen things that most adults would never even dream of. MI6 had taken so much away from him. They had used him against his will, blackmailed him into doing their dirty work. Jack looked sadly at the blank pages that followed. The empty white spaces reminded her that she might never see him again. She had planned on filling those pages with photos of her and Alex, but that would never happen now.

It broke her heart to think that she would never again be able to look into those deep brown eyes. She would never be able to hear his voice or see his smile, and it was all MI6's fault. Everything bad that ever happened in their life could be traced back to MI6. Every damn thing. They had used him and blackmailed him more times than she cared to count. They had pushed him too far. They had used him once too often. Now, he was gone. He had turned against them. He had finally broken their hold on them. She hoped he was okay. She hoped that she would be able to see him again some day. His words still rang in her ears.

"_Maybe some day. I'm sorry Jack. I really am. Goodbye." _

_Maybe some day. _Those were the words that gave her hope, hope that she would one day see him again. Maybe, just maybe, she would some day see him again.

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A/N: I know there hasn't been a whole lot of action in the last few chapters, but there is some big action coming up real soon. Please review and tell me what you think of it.

**Questions:**

**1. Should MI6 try to use Jack against Alex?**

**2. If you think they should, then how?**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this. Any one who answers BOTH of the questions list above will get a cookie. ( : )**


	16. Code Names and Surveillance Photos

**SheWeapon1 – I'm glad you like it so far. Here is the next chapter.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassan fan – I know. I was kind of in a depressing mood when I wrote that. That's fine that you don't know the answers. But thank you for telling me so. That way I know you didn't just skip over them.**

**AleksandryaGregonovitch – I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for answering the questions. Here is the next chapter.**

**Asainwannabe13 – Trust me, they won't forgive him twice. They will try to get him out of the way though. **

**CGIB – Not all chapters can be long. **

**Cat 2 – Good idea. I will think about that.**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 15: Code Names and Surveillance Photos

Alex awoke at 7:30 the next morning. He rolled out of bed and threw on jeans and a T-shirt. He made his way to the kitchen where he found Andy standing by the stove with her back turned towards him. She was making eggs and he could see bacon doing in the microwave and there was coffee in the coffee pot. He went over and poured himself a cup.

"I didn't know you cooked." He said.

"When you live on your own like this, you need to know how to do things for yourself."

"How long have you lived on your own?" He asked softly. She studied him for a moment.

"Going on three years now." She turned back to the stove. He could tell he wouldn't get any more out of her at the moment. He turned and made his way into the living room and turned on the TV. There was a football match on, but he wasn't really paying attention to it. He thought about what Andy had said. The more he found out about her, the more he didn't understand her. What she had said was only a small piece to the puzzle. There were still a lot of pieces missing.

There was so much he didn't know about his partner. He would just have to take it one step at a time. If he wanted to find out the whole story, she would have to trust him, and he knew that trust takes a long time to build. He would just have to be patient.

A few minutes later, Andy appeared in the doorway.

"The food's ready." She said before retreating back to the kitchen. Alex got up from the couch and turned off the TV, which he had been watching, and made his way to the kitchen. Andy had filled two plates with eggs and bacon. Alex refilled his coffee cup and sat down at the small kitchen table with a plate of food. Andy sat down opposite him. They ate their food in silence for a few minutes. It was Andy who finally spoke.

"You need a code name." She said. Alex looked at confused.

"What?"

"I this business, you need a code name. I would advise you not use the one from SAS camp, because MI6 knows that one." She said.

"Umm. Okay." He frowned. "I'm not very good with code names though. What do you think I should use?" He asked. Andy studied him for a moment.

"Since you were Cub at SAS camp, maybe you could be something like Tiger. I think that would fit you." Alex looked confused.

"How'd you know my code name?" He asked. She smirked.

"I read your file, remember?" She said. Alex nodded. "So do you want to be Tiger or something else?" She asked. Alex thought about it for a moment. When he thought about it, it was very fitting. He nodded.

"I'll take Tiger." He said. Andy grinned.

"So now we'll be Hunter and Tiger." She said. They ate the rest of their meal in silence. It didn't take Alex long to finish. Once he was done, he took his plate and coffee cup over to the sink. He rinsed them of, dried them, and put them in the cupboard. Andy was not far behind him. Alex went into the living room and turned on the TV while Andy went to her room. Alex was glad for the time to relax. Little did he know how soon this time of peace would come to an end.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Mrs. Jones hurried into Blunt's office. She had a sheaf of papers in her hand. Blunt looked up from the paper he was reading.

"What is it?" He asked. Mrs. Jones handed him the papers. There was a black and white surveillance photo on the top of the pile. It showed the faces of two teens. One was a boy and one was a girl. They both had dark hair and light eyes.

"The face recognition program confirmed that the boy is Alex." Said Mrs. Jones.

"Do you have an i.d. on the girl?" Blunt asked.

"No. But it is a very real possibility that she is the girl Hunter that Alex mentioned."

"Where was this picture taken?"

"In front of a Chinese clothing store called Zhuāng Shāng Diàn. It's owned by a man named Cheng Shi. He's on our watch list for suspected terrorists. We think he's a Chinese arms dealer. Our agents have been watching the store for the past few months." Blunt frowned.

"Check if there's any connection between Hunter and Cheng. Get security footage for the surrounding area. Check with all the hotels, stores, and restaurants in the area. See if anyone has seen two teens fitting their description within the last day or so. Also check out anyone who lives in the surrounding area. Tell all teams to focus their searches in that area. Let's see if we can track these two down. Also see if the techs can i.d. this Hunter girl. I want to know what we're up against." Mrs. Jones nodded. She hurried off to track down the appropriate people. Things were about to get _very_ interesting.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: I know it was short. But it needs to be there. The pace will start to pick up again in the next chapter or so. Thank you for taking the time to read this.**

**Question(s):**

**(1) What do you think of his code name?**

**(2) MI6 knows now that Andy and Alex are in London. Should I have Andy and Alex find out they know and escape just in time (of course, that would include a high speed motor bike chase, lots of shooting and one or so near death situations)? Or should I have them not find out in time and get trapped and captured and then have them escape from prison (that too would include lots of action)? I can't make up my mind, so I really need you people to tell me what you want. I promise, either way, there will be lots of action.  
**


	17. Time To Be Gone

**A/N: Things will start heating up in this chapter. **

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thanks. I thought it fit him too. **

**HallowedInk – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. Don't worry about it. A long review that points out both the faults and strengths of my writing is worth more than a thousand good jobs. Thank you for your suggestions!**

**Budgey – I think so to. As far as Yassen, no, he won't be in this story.**

**Cat 2 – Whichever one I don't use this time, I will definitely use another time in the story. **

**Fan O' Fanfic – I know. It's a very hard choice. That's why I let you people choose. grins evilly **

**CGIB – w/e. I will address that with you later. (Note: For those of you who don't know, CGIB, (aka – crazy-gal-in-blue, is my beta reader/BFF).**

**Asainwannabe13 – Good point. I will take that into consideration. **

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Chapter 16: Time To Be Gone

A plain looking man in a black suit walked casually into a small café located on King Williams Street. There weren't a lot of people there due to the fact that it was mid afternoon and most people had already finished their lunch break. There were only a few tourists sitting at a table near the window overlooking the street. The man did not go to a table, but instead made his way up to the counter. The young waitress looked up from the cash regester.

"Good day sir. How may I help you?" She asked. The man leaned casually on the counter. He shifted so the gun on his belt was visible to the waitress. Her eyes widened. The man pulled two photos out of his pocket and placed them on the counter in front of the waitress.

"Have you seen either of these two around within the past few days?" He asked. The woman studied the photos. They were of a boy and a girl. They both had black hair and blue eyes and looked to be about sixteen. The woman nodded quickly.

"They were here yesterday morning. I think it was around 10:30." She kept looking nervously at the gun on his belt. The man smiled at her, though it was a very cold smile.

"Thank you ma'am. I won't bother you any more." With that, he pocketed the pictures and left the café. As soon as he exited the café, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. Someone picked up on the first ring.

"We got 'em. A waitress says she saw them around 10:30 yesterday morning at a small café on King Williams Street."

_"Good. Check out all of the hotels and flats within three blocks of the café. They should be near by somewhere. I will pass on the information to the head. Good work."_

The man hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. He started down King Williams Street. He knew there were a bunch of flats three doors down from the café he had just come from. He figured he would start there.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Andy walked casually down King Williams Street. She had a bag of takeout in one hand. It was 1:00 in the afternoon and she didn't feel like cooking lunch, so she had gotten takeout. When she entered the building where their flat was, she noticed a man in a suit talking to the receptionist. She overheard a little bit of the conversation.

"…second door to the right on the sixth floor." Said the receptionist. Andy froze. They were talking about her flat. The man smiled what Andy assumed was supposed to be a charming smile.

"Thank you ma'am. Have you seen them coming or going much lately?" He asked, picking two photos up off the desk. Andy couldn't see the photos, but she had a sinking feeling that they were of her and Alex, though she had no idea where they could have gotten them. The lady nodded.

"The girl left not to long ago…" She trailed off as she noticed Andy watching them. Her eyes widened slightly. She pointed to her. "There she is now actually." She said. The man whipped around and drew a gun. Andy swore silently and bolted for the stairs, dropping the bag in the process. "Stop right there!" He commanded. Andy kept going. He fired several shots at her, but she managed to dodge them. She sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. The man pounded after her, gun drawn, occasionally firing shot when he thought he could hit her.

"Stop right now!" He shouted. Andy wondered if he actually thought that would do any good. _Dumb ass_. She thought as she continued up the stairs. She managed to dodge several more shots, but a lucky shot caught her in the side. She hissed in pain, but kept on moving. She heard her pursuer take out his radio and radio for backup. She swore silently again. She pulled out her Desert Eagle and flicked off the safety. She turned around and fired several shots at the man. He crumpled to the ground as several lucky shots hit him in the chest. Andy turned and continued up the stairs, taking them three at a time. Her side throbbed, but she ignored it. She felt blood trickling down her side. She cursed herself for not wearing her bulletproof jacket.

It didn't take her long to reach the flat. She fumbled with the key for a moment. She opened the door and slammed it behind her, locking it again. She slid the five deadbolts she had installed into place and used the finger print scanner by the door to lock it. She leaned against the wall for a moment, holding her hand against her bleeding side. She looked up to see Alex standing beside her.

"They're here." She said. He frowned.

"I thought I heard gunshots in the stairwell." He noticed her side. "You're hit." He said. It was more of a statement than a question. She shrugged.

"It's just a graze. I'll be fine." She made her way into the kitchen where she found a first aid kit. She pulled out a bandage and gauze and quickly bandaged her side. It wasn't the best, but it would have to do. She hurried to her room to get her things. "Pack your things Alex." She called back to him. "We've got to get out of here."

Once in her room, she grabbed her bulletproof jacket and put it on. She already had her Kahr P9 in the concealed holster around her waist. She put her knives and her Glock 22 and her IMI Desert Eagle in their respective places. She then grabbed her duffle bag and stuffed her laptop, Russian Dragunov Tiger sniper rifle, M60E3 machine gun, Colt M4 Carbine automatic rifle, and her clothes in it. She zipped it up and slung it over her shoulder. After grabbing her motorbike keys and glancing around the room to make sure she had everything, she made her way to the living room where Alex was waiting. He had his bag and was wearing his bulletproof jacket.

"The back up team just arrived. They're on their way up now." He said. Andy swore. Just then they heard the pounding of footsteps on the stairs. Andy's face was grim. "It's time for us to be gone." She said as she made her way over to the window and forced it open.

Alex saw that there was a fire escape right outside. They could hear the agents in the hallway, they were right outside the door. Andy dropped her bag out the window and onto the fire escape. She quickly followed, landing with a cat-like grace beside her bag. She moved out of the way as Alex dropped his bag out the window. The agents were trying to kick down the door. It shuddered under the force of their blows, it wouldn't hold much longer. Alex maneuvered himself out the window and landed in a crouch beside Andy. He straitened up and grabbed his bag. The sound of the door breaking reached their ears. They didn't have much time. They hurried down the fire escape. The shouts of the agents reached them from the flat. Then they heard the shout they were dreading.

"They escaped through the window! They're on the fire escape!"

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**A/N: Mwahahahaha! I couldn't resist putting a cliffy in there. I will try to get the next chapter up ASAP. Thank you for reading!**


	18. Trapped

**A/N: I am sooooooo sorry for the long wait. It's just that it's (horse) showing season right now and I'm getting ready for the County show on the 19th****. I've also just gotten another horse. He's only two years old and has a minimal amount of training. I am training both of my horses almost every day and have very little time to actually write. Even when I do have time, I'm usually too worn out to write decently. Again, I am soooo sorry. Please don't give up on me. I'm trying my best.**

**I decided to delete the prologue because the story line sort of changed and it doesn't fit with it anymore. I have replaced it with the trailer for it that I wrote a while ago but never posted.**

**I would like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. You guys are what keep me writing. hugs . **

**Aquanova – Thanks. I'm glad you like it.**

**HallowedInk – Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I will try to take the things you said into consideration. Once again, don't worry about leaving a long review. It's very helpful when you point out both the good and the bad aspects of the story. **

**CGIB – We will discuss this later.**

**Vampassassin – That's so true. **

**SheWeapon1 – Thanks. grins evilly I know. That's why I did it. I like your suggestion. I might use it, or I might not. I don't know.**

**Quadira Zakia Yoko – No. They forgave him once, but they won't forgive him again. As for Andy, she only kills to survive. She can't afford to show emotion in her line of work. **

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Oh. I have to add that part. Sorry. Thank you for pointing that out. **

**Cat 2 – You'll see. **

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Last Chapter - _Alex maneuvered himself out the window and landed in a crouch beside Andy. He straitened up and grabbed his bag. The sound of the door breaking reached their ears. They didn't have much time. They hurried down the fire escape. The shouts of the agents reached them from the flat. Then they heard the shout they were dreading._

"_They escaped through the window! They're on the fire escape!"_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 17: Trapped

"Come on!" Shouted Andy. They ran as fast as they could along the fire escape. They could hear the sound of footsteps behind them. The agents had made it through the window and were on the fire escape.

"Stop right there!" They heard one of the agents shout. But they ignored him and kept on running. Several bullets whizzed overhead. By now they had almost reached the sixth floor. They dodged bullets as they ran. Alex spared a backwards glance.

"They're gaining on us!" He yelled to Andy. He saw Andy reach into her jacket and pulled out her gun and flicked off the safety. He followed her example with his own gun. Andy glanced at him and nodded. They simultaneously whipped around and fired several rounds at their pursuers. The three agents in the lead went down. Andy and Alex sprinted away, dodging bullets as the remaining agents returned fire.

They ran down the fire escape, desperately trying to lose their pursuers. Alex glanced back and saw that the gap between them was slowly increasing, but they couldn't stop yet. They had to make it to the ground before they're only chance of escape was blocked. They had now reached the fourth floor; the agents were on the fifth. It didn't take them long to reach the third floor. The agents were still one floor behind them, but they were starting to gain ground again. Bullets whizzed overhead, both Alex and Andy returned fire. Another agent went down, but they didn't have time to celebrate. They were now on the second floor. Andy glanced towards the front of the building. A group of agents rounded the corner; they were going to try to cut them off. Andy glanced at the ground below. The only way they would make it in time was if they jumped now.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Andy's POV

"We have to jump now! Otherwise they'll cut us off!" I cried. Alex didn't look too thrilled with the idea, but he nodded. I clicked on the safety on my gun and holstered it, I saw Alex do the same. I spared one more glance at the men on the ground.

"MI6! Get your hands in the air!" They yelled.

_Not going to happen buddy._ I thought to myself as I vaulted neatly over the railing and landed with cat-like grace on the ground. A jolt of pain shot up my side. I stumbled a bit and cursed. A split second later, Alex landed beside me. We took off running, heading for the back entrance to the garage where our motorbikes were.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Mrs. Jones sat in a hard, black, office chair in an almost pitch black room. The only light was a faint glow that cam from the dozen or so computer screens in front of her. Most of them were filled with things that were not important to her. It was the three screens directly in front of her that were the center of her attention. Each screen was divided into four equal parts. Each part contained a grid-like map. Each map was of a different section of London. Small green dots moved across each of the maps. Mrs. Jones's dark eyes followed their every movement as they moved through the streets of London. They all seemed to be heading in the same direction.

The green dots on the screen were the search teams who had been sent out to capture a rouge agent and his accomplice. The agent was none other than the infamous Alex Rider. No one knew who his accomplice really was. All they had was a picture and a code name, Hunter.

Just five minutes before, one of the teams had radioed in saying that they had located the targets. All of the teams had been redirected to the location of the suspects. Already, at least one agent had been killed. The teams had been warned not to underestimate the teenagers, but the agent who had found them had done just that and had been killed because of it. The last report had been to say that the two teams already on the scene were moving in. There had been no other report since that, but Mrs. Jones could see activity on the monitors around the area where Alex and Hunter were. She hoped that the teams they had sent out could overpower the two teens, but her gut told her that their attempt to bring them in would not end well.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Andy and Alex dodged bullets as they sprinted towards the back of the building. The agents were slowly closing the gap between them. Alex and Andy dodged around the side of the building and into a small alley. They ran until they came to a gray metal door set into the wall on their left. Andy tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge. She cursed colorfully as the door stayed firmly locked. The agents had reached the entrance to the alley. They were running towards the two teens, guns raised. Panic began to well within them both. Andy made a split second decision. She whipped out her gun and flicked off the safety. She fired several rounds at the lock, completely destroying it. She delivered a powerful kick to the metal door, causing it to fall inwards and causing a fresh wave of pain to shoot up her side.

The two teens darted through the door and found them selves near the back of the underground parking garage of the building in which they had been staying. Both of their motorbikes were parked near by. Andy turned on the safety of her gun and shoved it in its holster. They made their way over to the bikes and grabbed the helmets off the seats and put them on. They climbed on the bikes and readjusted their bags before starting the engines. Just then, another team of agents burst through the front entrance of the garage at the same time as the agents who had been pursuing them burst through the back door. All of the agents had their guns trained on the two teens.

"Stand up and get your hands in the air!" Shouted one of the agents who had come in the front. Andy glanced around them, looking for a way out. But they were out of luck. There were no other exits. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. They were trapped.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: Mwahahahaha! Another cliffy! I'm cruel aren't I? (grins evilly)  
**

**Question: **

**1. Do you think they'll get away, or do you think they've got themselves caught?**

**The more reviews I get, the more motivation I'll have to update sooner. I'll also be more motivated to update if you all answer the question. I want to hear your opinions. So if you don't want to be left hanging for too long you have to review and answer the question. **

**Note: I might be a little late with the next couple of chapters because of training my two horses. I will try to update ASAP, but I don't know how soon that will be. Please be patient and understand that I'm trying my best. **


	19. Now or Never

**A/N: The song at the beginning is just a song I thought went well with this chapter. This chapter will have a lot of action in it. It will also answer some of your questions as to whether they get caught or not.**

**Quadira Zakia Yoko – That's okay. I know how that is. No, they will not stay in England for the entire story. They will be going to different places throughout.**

**Asainwannabe13 – Yes, things are looking bad for them. **

**SheWeapon1 – Thanks. You are right, you never know what they're capable of…well, I do, but that doesn't count because I'm the author and I can make them do whatever I want. **

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

This ain't a song for the broken-hearted  
No silent prayer for the faith-departed  
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd  
You're gonna hear my voice  
When I shout it out loud

_Chorus_  
It's my life  
It's now or never  
I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
(It's my life)  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just wanna live while I'm alive  
It's my life

This is for the ones who stood their ground  
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down  
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake  
Luck ain't even lucky  
Got to make your own breaks

_Chorus_  
It's my life  
And it's now or never  
I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
(It's my life)  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
'Cause it's my life

Better stand tall when they're calling you out  
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down

_Chorus_  
It's my life  
And it's now or never  
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
(It's my life)  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive

_Chorus_  
It's my life  
And it's now or never  
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
(It's my life)  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
'Cause it's my life!

**Lyrics to "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Last Chapter - _"Stand up and get your hands in the air!" Shouted one of the agents who had come in the front. Andy glanced around them, looking for a way out. But they were out of luck. There were no other exits. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. They were trapped._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 18: Now or Never

Alex's POV

My heart raced as I searched the parking lot for a way out. There was none. Agents blocked both of the exits. That's when it hit me. It was a long shot, but it just might work. I wondered how I could communicate with her to tell her my plan without the agents knowing. My heart sank. I had no way to communicate with her. Then I remembered the radios installed in our helmets. Andy had programmed them so we could contact each other whenever we needed to. I glanced in Andy's direction. I could tell that, like me, she was looking for a way out.

"Hunter." I whispered into the microphone in my helmet. She didn't seem to react, but then her voice reached me through the radio.

_"What?"_ She hissed, clearly agitated.

"I have an idea." I replied.

_"Will it get us out of here?"_ She asked.

"Maybe."

_"Well, speak up." _I could hear a tiny bit of hope in her voice.

"We are facing the front entrance. The guards won't expect us to try and get out that way." There was a pause on the other end.

_"I think I see what you're saying. It's a long shot, but it's the best we've got."_

"You have three seconds to get your hands in the air!" Yelled the lead agent. Andy and I glanced at each other briefly. It was now or never.

_"One…" _Andy counted down_. "Two…" _The agents flicked off the safeties on their weapons._ "THREE!" _Both Andy and I accelerated at the same time. We were headed straight for the agents blocking the front entrance. We ducked down as the agents opened fire. I felt bullets hit my bulletproof jacket and helmet. I cursed as one caught me on my lower left leg. But there was no time to think about the pain. We were rapidly approaching the agents.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Normal POV

The two teens rapidly closed the gap that separated them from the agents. The agents stood their ground until the last second, shooting desperately at them as they bore down upon them. At the last second, they threw themselves aside. They missed them by mere centimeters as they roared past, but neither Alex nor Andy had time to think of that as they burst back into the sunlight.

They swerved onto the road and took off, swerving dangerously between cars. Andy was in the lead as they wove between the traffic. Drivers honked their horns at them angrily as some were forced to swerve off the road to avoid them. They caused several minor crashes occurred along the way, but the two teens didn't have time to think about that. When they glanced back, they could see several Government Issue cars and motorbikes pursuing them. They accelerated again in an attempt to lose their pursuers. The speedometers on the bikes reached speeds that were much faster than any normal person would go. When they glanced back, they saw that the cars were dropping back, but the motorbikes were hot on their tail.

They were rapidly approaching the London Bridge. They accelerated again, crouching low over their bikes. Bullets whizzed overhead as the agents opened fire once more. They were now on the London Bridge. They wove between traffic in an attempt to avoid the bullets and lose their pursuers, but the agents hung doggedly on, the gap between them never really lengthening nor closing. When they reached the end of the bridge, they swerved left onto Upper Thames Street, which ran parallel with the Thames River. The agents were starting to gain a bit of ground. Alex and Andy swerved dangerously in front of a large truck in an attempt to lose them. But the agents quickly follow suit. They were steadily gaining on the two teens. Alex and Andy made a sharp right onto Farringdon Street. The agents once again followed suit.

Seconds later they swerved onto Oxford Street, cutting the corner and almost running over several people in the process. Looking back, they saw that the agents were still hot on their tail and growing ever closer.

In a desperate attempt to lose them, the teens swerved sharply to the right and headed down a small side street. They quickly figured out their mistake. The street was almost totally abandoned, therefore, they could go all out, but so could their pursuers. It would also make them better targets, but there was no turning back now. The agents had swerved onto the side street after them. Alex and Andy were now riding side-by-side down the narrow street. They swerved dangerously around sharp corners at insanely high speeds, almost crashing into each other on several occasions. Bullet whizzed overhead and the agents pulled closer. Both Alex and Andy felt a bullet bounce of their helmets or bulletproof jacket on more than one occasion.

Alex saw Andy unholster her gun. He followed suit, fighting to remain in control of the bike. They flicked the safeties off on their guns and fired randomly behind them. Whether it was luck or fate, one of the bullets found its mark in the front tired of the leading bike. The bike jerked and sent the agent on it flying. The agent riding beside it tried to get out of the way, but the narrow street prevented him from it. The bike crashed into the one beside it and the agents behind them could not stop in time and crashed into them. Much to Andy's amusement, the entire pile exploded in one big fireball. Alex grimaced as he turned on the safety on his weapon and holstered it. He almost pitied the agents. That would be a horrible way to die. But he quickly pushed the thought from his head as they burst out onto Baker Street. They slowed slightly as the turned right and continued their breakneck pace as they swerved between traffic. Unfortunately for them, there had been trackers installed on the agent's bikes, so MI6 had had a good idea where they were headed. They had sent another team to try and intercept them. That was the team that picked them up when they reached Baker Street.

It took the teens a bit to realize they were being followed. But when they did, they increased their pace once more. The team of agents was rapidly closing in on them. They swerved dangerously in between traffic, but it was no use. The agents had been prepared for this. They spread out across the road as they closed in on their targets. Both Andy and Alex realized the danger they were in. They knew they had to get off the road otherwise they were done for. They were nearing Regent's Park. It would be the perfect place to lose them. They swerved off the road and into the park. Little did they know what a big mistake that was.

The agents pursuing them had anticipated this and had radioed to their backup team, telling them to wait in the park. Alex and Andy were riding strait into the trap.

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**A/N: (shakes head) I really need stop with the cliffhangers don't I? All well, such is life.**

**Questions:**

**Do you think they'll get away, or will they get caught?**

**What do you think of me putting the song at the beginning? Do you like it?**

**Remember, the more reviews I get, the more motivated I will be to update. I need at least five reviews before I'll update. I already have the next chapter written, so as soon as I get my reviews I'll update.**


	20. Only Chance

**A/N: This chapter will be very short, but it will finally answer your questions about whether or not they will get away. Enjoy!**

**Quadira Zakia Yoko – I'm glad you liked it. The explosion part was one of my favorite parts too. **

**Asainwannabe13 – They do, don't they? As far as getting away…well, you'll just have to read to find out. **

**Crazy-gal-in-blue – I will. **

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thanks. Um…(looks guilty)…there's a small cliffy at the end of this one, but I promise, they won't be in ever chapter…at least not intentionally. **

**SheWeapon – Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. You will be happy to know that yours is the last review I need. And yes, I know, I'm cruel (grins evilly). There is a small cliffy at the end of this chapter, but I promise, they won't be in ever chapter…at least not intentionally. Thank you for the ideas!**

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Chapter 19: Only Chance

Mrs. Jones watched the green dots move across the screen. Her mouth was set in a straight line. Her displeasure was clearly evident. The two teenagers had once again escape their agents. The agents had been told not to underestimate them, but they had. Now the two were leading them on a wild goose chase through the streets of London. A few seconds before, the team who was trailing them had radioed in saying that they were headed for Regent's Park and they should set up an ambush there. The closest team was now on their way to the park to intercept the teens. Mrs. Jones just hoped they would succeed, for everyone's sake.

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Alex and Andy raced through Regent's Park at top speed, dodging trees and ducking under low hanging branches. The agents were still hot on their trail. They had entered the park a few minutes before, yet they couldn't seem to lose the agents. They had to do something fast. They would reach the road in another few minutes and they couldn't risk the open road anymore, not with the agents so close.

Within the next few seconds, things went from bad to worse. Four agents appeared seemingly out of nowhere, two on either side of them. They drifted closer and closer to them, forcing Alex and Andy to do the same. Only too late did they realize why. They were trapped, with agents on either side of them and agents at their back. The only way they could go was forward, and they were already going almost as fast as the bikes would allow them to. Any faster would be too fast considering that they were still in the woods.

"What do we do?" Alex asked into the radio. "If we go any faster we'll probably crash!" Andy was silent for a bit.

_"If we want any chance of getting out of this it's a risk we have to take." _Andy's voice came through the radio. Alex weighed the options in his mind. Definite capture, or a slight chance of escape?

"It's our only chance. I guess it's worth a shot." He said finally.

_"Alright. Ready?"_

"As ready as I'll ever be."

_"Go!" _They both accelerated at the same time, shooting out from between the agents. They swerve dangerously between the trees barely missing some of them. Bullets whizzed overhead. They crouched low over the bikes. The speedometers were pushed up against. They could go no faster. Alex glanced behind him to see where the agents were. That was his mistake. What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. His bike jerked to the side and crashed into Andy's. Alex was thrown into the air and slammed into a tree. The last thing he remembered before he let the darkness claim him was seeing was Andy lying unmoving on the ground a few feet away.


	21. It Depends What You Call Good

**A/N: (dodges random flying objects being thrown by the readers) Aaaaaaah! Okay! Okay! Okay! The last chapter ended up having a bigger cliffy than I thought it would! (hides behind beta reader/crazy-gal-in-blue) **

**Crazy-gal-in-blue: "Hey! I'm not your body guard!" **

**This chapter won't have any action of any account, but not every chapter can be action packed, can it? **

**SheWeapon1 – Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.**

**Quadira Zakia Yoko – Who says they can't thrill you when they are injured? As far as killing them or not…well…you'll just have to wait and see. (grins evilly)**

**Asainwannabe13 – Yes. They are caught. But the question is…will they stay caught?**

**Aquanova – Sorry about the cliffy. As far as getting caught, they can't escape every time. **

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Ooops. My bad. I'm glad you liked it. **

**Wolfmonster – I'm glad you like it so far. As far as them escaping, maybe…maybe not. (grins evilly) You'll just have to wait and find out. As for the incident, you'll have to wait to find out like the rest of the readers. (grins) And no, bribing me with cookies will not help.**

**Hurrybee - Yours is the last one I need. I'm still trying to decide when I'm going to put that in about the incident. I will try to fit it in as soon as I can. As far as cliffies, I can't help myself. (looks guilty) They annoy me when authors put them in too, but I have no room to complain. I'm glad you like it!**

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Chapter 20: It Depends What You Call Good

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. _

An annoying beeping sound broke through the fog that surrounded him. It penetrated the peaceful quiet of his sleep. He tried to tune it out, but it wouldn't go away. It seemed to pull him from the realm of unconsciousness. It was getting louder with every beep. The fog that surrounded him seemed to clear a bit. The beeping grew louder. His senses slowly began return.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

As crazy as it sounded, it felt like he was falling upwards, like he was being drawn from the peaceful realm of unconsciousness back into the world of reality. He tried to fight whatever was pulling him. He didn't want to go back to the real world, not just yet. He just wanted a few more minutes of peace and quiet, just a few more minutes before he had to face reality. But it was no use. The beeping sound grew louder. It sounded almost like it was mocking him. Along with it came excruciating pain in his left hand.

_Damn beeping. Damn pain._

He slowly opened his eyes, only to close them quickly again. After the blissful darkness of unconsciousness, the light was blinding. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes again, only more slowly this time. He blinked in the bright light. Slowly, his eyes began to adjust and his vision cleared.

Once he could see properly again, he looked around. He was in a sterile, white hospital-like room lying on a plain, white, bed. He was hooked up to an i.v. and was surrounded by several monitors, one of which, was the source of the beeping noise. He glared at the offending object, but it just kept beeping away. He turned his attention to the rest of the room. Unlike in the hospital, the room was long and had beds lined up on either side with an isle down the middle. Alex noticed that there was someone on the bed next to him. When he looked at the person's face, he drew a quick breath in. It was Andy.

She too was hooked up to an i.v. and several other machines. But it was the oxygen mask that covered her mouth and nose that worried him. Her face was ghostly pale and stood out against her dark hair. Guilt welled up inside of him. This was all his fault. If only he had watched where he was going. If only he hadn't agreed to take such a big risk. If only the bike would have swerved away from Andy, not towards her, then at least _she_ would be free instead of lying here, helpless in the hands of their enemies.

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(Flashback)

_They swerve dangerously between the trees barely missing some of them. Bullets whizzed overhead. Gunshots rang through the air. Alex crouched low over his bike. The speedometer was pushed up against. He could go no faster. He glanced behind him to see where the agents were. That was his mistake. What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. _

_He felt the bike jerk beneath him. He felt himself being thrown into the air. Time seemed to slow. All noise seemed to fade into the distance. He saw his bike jerk to the right. He tried to call out a warning, but his voice didn't seem to work. All he could do is watch in horror as his bike crashed into Andy's, sending her flying. It was all like one big horror move. He remembered trying to call out her name. But all of a sudden, it was like someone pressed play. The world, noise and reality came crashing back down on him, along with the ground. He slammed into a tree. A jolt of pain shot up his arm. The last thing he remembered before he let the darkness claim him was seeing was Andy lying unmoving on the ground a few feet away…_

(End flashback)

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He was jolted out of his reverie by the door opening. In walked a man in a white coat. He was a plain looking man. He looked like he was in his fifties. His hair was graying, he walked with a slight limp, and he wore a pair of square glasses. He was reading an open file and making a few notes in it. He flipped the file shut and put his pen in the pocket of his coat.

"Ah. Mr. Rider. You are finally awake." He said, stopping at the foot of Alex's bed. "That is good, very good. You have been out for quite some time." Alex regarded him cautiously for a moment before answering.

"How long?" He asked finally.

"Pardon me?" Asked the doctor. Alex rolled his eyes.

"How long have I been out?" He asked.

"Ah. It has been almost two days since you were brought here." Alex studied him for a moment, trying to see if he was lying. He finally decided that the man was telling the truth. After all, he had no reason to lie to him about how long he had been there. The doctor raised an eyebrow at him.

"You don't think I'm lying do you?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"No." Replied Alex after a bit. He did not trust this doctor. After all, he _was_ MI6.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Alex snapped shortly. The doctor frowned.

"Mr. Rider, I do not think you realize the severity of your injuries. Several small bones in your left hand are broken. You have a bullet graze on your left leg, bruising all down you left side, two cracked ribs, also on your left side, and a severe concussion." He said sternly. Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Um. Yea. I kind of knew all of that already. It's quite obvious thank you very much." He snapped. He was _not_ in the mood to deal with some idiot doctor who thinks he knows everything. The doctor frowned at him.

"I would advise you keep control of your mouth boy." He said. Alex glanced subtly towards the open door. But the doctor caught it. "I would also advise that you remember that this is a _very_ heavily guarded facility. So you won't get very far if you try to escape." He gave Alex a very stern glare. "No funny business now. I assure you, there is no way you can escape from this building." Alex smirked slightly.

_We'll see about that old man._ He thought.

"What about my partner?" He asked. The doctor raised an eyebrow.

"What about her?" He asked.

"How is she?"

"If she's anything like you she'd say she's fine. Other than that, I am not allowed to discuss other patient's information with just anyone. You'll have to ask her when…if she wakes up."

"Is there a good chance of her waking up?"

"It depends on what you call good." With that he turned on his heel and walked briskly out the door, locking it behind him. Alex sighed. Now he knew why he _really_ hated doctors. Well, other than the fact that doctors mean hospitals and hospitals tend mean something has gone wrong.

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**A/N: I know it's short. But at least you know Andy's alive…for the moment anyway. As far as long term…well…I don't want to spoil it for you. So I'll just let you suffer a little while longer. Mwahahahahaha!**

**Question(s):**

**Do you think Andy will wake up?**

**Do you think she will even survive?**

**How do you think they will get out of this one?**

Remember, reviews make me happy, and when I'm happy, I tend to update more. So review!


	22. Blood and Tears

**A/N: The beginning of the chapter is actually a flashback for one of the characters. I am not going to tell you who it is for though. You will have to figure that one out yourself, though it shouldn't be very hard. I will be skipping parts of their time in the clinic because it would be so long and boring if I included it all (it would involve lots of Andy sleeping and Alex being board out of his mind). This chapter takes place two days after the last one. **

**Thank you to all of my supportive reviewers. **

**Quadira Zakia Yoko – I agree. Going through the ductworks is such a cliché. Don't worry. They won't try to go out that way. I have other things in mind for our favorite two assassins.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – I know what you mean. I'm kind of mad at Anthony Horowitz for killing off Yassen (he's one of my favorite characters). Anyway, I might kill Andy, or I might not. You will just have to wait and see. **

**Hurrybee – Hmm. You just gave me a good idea. Thank you. As far as not writing, you never know what you can do until you try. **

**Wolfmonster – Sorry. Bribery never works for me. I can be quite secretive when it comes to new twists in my stories. I'm not quite sure if my beta even knows what **_**the incident**_** is. I forget whether I told her yet or not. I will try to include it as soon as I can, but it will probably at least be a few more chapters before you find out. Thank you for all of the ideas. I'm glad you liked it. **

**SheWeapon1 – Thanks. I'm glad you like it so far. **

**Crazy-gal-in-blue – I will. **

**Lady Zarobiti – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. As far as the secret, don't worry. You will find out sooner or later. Thank you for the ideas. **

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Chapter 21: Blood and Tears

_The sound of the door breaking rang through the apartment. Her mother grabbed her and her twin sister. She dragged them into her bedroom and locked the door. Her mother dragged a chair over to the door and shoved it under the doorknob. She looked frantically around the room._

"_Come here Andrea." Her mother said, beckoning for her. She made her way over to where her mother now stood. Her mother bent down and removed the cover on the vent. "Get in here." She said. "You will be safe in here."_

"_But mommy…" She whimpered. _

"_Hush baby. There is no time to argue. Now get in." She paused. She didn't like the looks of the vent. It might have spiders in it. "Go on." Urged her mother. "Get in." She reluctantly climbed into the confined space. Once she was in, she peered out at her mother. _

"_Are you and Cassy coming too mommy?" She asked hopefully. Her mother shook her head. _

"_No sweetheart. We can't fit. You'll be fine." Her mother soothed her. The footsteps of the intruders were drawing closer. They were in the living room. Tears welled up in her eyes._

"_But, mommy …"_

"_Shhh. You have to be quiet now sweet heart. Stay here and be quiet until it's all over. Can you do that?" She asked gently._

"_How will I know when it's over?" She asked softly, fear was evident in her voice._

"_I will come and get you baby. Now don't move and don't make a sound until I come for you, all right?"_

"_Okay." She whispered. "Promise you'll come back?" The intruders were now in the next room. It wouldn't be long until they reached them._

"_I promise sweety." Her mother smiled sadly. "Always remember that mommy loves you." She whispered. "I'll always be here for you." With that, her mother put the cover back on the vent. The slits in the cover allowed her to see out. They also allowed a limited amount of light in. She peered through the slits. Her mother turned and pulled her twin sister across the room. The intruders were at the door. The doorknob rattled, like they were trying to turn it, but it was locked. They door shuddered as something hit it with a thump. Her mother grabbed her sister and shoved her under the bed. The door shuddered again. This time, the lock couldn't hold. The lock broke. The chair began to move. Her mother looked around frantically for a weapon. At the last minute, she grabbed the lamp from the bedside table, ripping the cord from the wall. The door swung slowly open. Two masked men stood in the doorway. They were dress entirely in black._

"_Well. What have we here? Where are your little brats bitch?" Asked the taller of the two. _

"_Leave us alone!" Snarled her mother. "We never did anything to you!" The man smiled coldly. _

"_It doesn't matter whether you did anything to us or not. Orders are orders, and our orders say you and your brats must die." The man aimed his gun at her and pulled the trigger. She heard a loud bang. Her mother crumpled to the ground, the lamp fell from her hand and shattered on the ground. She had been shot in the stomach. The man walked over to her and knelt down beside her. _

"_Where are they?" He asked, pressing a knife to her throat. Her eyes blazed defiantly. _

"_Wouldn't you like to know?" She gasped out. The man shook his head. _

"_Search the room." He ordered the other man. The man nodded and began methodically tearing the room apart. It wasn't long before he found her twin sister cowering under the bed. _

"_I found one of them." He said, pulling her out roughly by the back of her shirt. Her sister screamed and tried to wriggle out of the man's grasp. He chuckled. "Feisty little one aren't you?" He asked. The man who pinned her mother down smiled coldly. _

"_You see, we don't need you to tell us where they are. We will find them whether you tell us where they are or not." With that he slit her throat. He stood up and shook the blood off of his hands. He moved towards his partner who held her struggling sister by her shirt. Her sister screamed as put the knife covered in their mothers blood against her throat. "It's too bad that one so young and pretty as you must die." He said. She screamed and struggled harder. He laughed as he slowly drew the knife across her throat. It bit deep into the skin. Blood poured from the wound. The man dropped her. She struggled to breath as she lay on the floor at their feet. Slowly, the life drained out of her. Her emerald green eyes clouded over. The men turned their attention from the bodies as they began to search the rest of the room. _

_She crouched in the air duct watching every horrific moment. Tears streamed down her face as she held her hand over her mouth to stifle the screams that welled up inside of her. _

"_No." She whispered. "No. Oh god, no." _

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Alex lay on his bed flipping through a magazine. He wasn't really reading it though. It was some science magazine and it was _really_ boring. The only reason he was reading it was because it was something to do. He sighed and put the magazine down. He felt like he was going to go insane. He couldn't stand much more of this. All that he had to do was read crappie magazines that had nothing worthwhile to read in them. He lay back and stared at the blank white ceiling. That was another thing that was driving him insane. Everything in the place was either white or metal. They _really_ needed to redecorate this place.

Alex tossed the magazine onto the bedside table that sat between him and Andy. The only things that were on it were several more magazines that weren't any more interesting than the one he had been looking at. He lay back on his pillows and stared at the blank white ceiling.

The only sound that penetrated the silence was the steady beeping of Andy's heart monitor (1). At first he had found the beeping of the monitors annoying, but he had quickly gotten used to it. Over the past two day since he had awakened, the steady beeping of Andy's monitor had become almost reassuring. It meant her heart was still beating. It meant that she was still alive. But the ominous question still lingered at the back of his mind: how long would it last? He worried that the monitor would stop beeping, that her heart would stop beating.

Some people might say he was being sentimental. But in reality, he needed her. As much as he hated to admit it, it was true. He couldn't escape MI6's control for good on his own.

Andy was the one who had gotten him out of MI6. She had trusted him even when she knew that he was a spy. In truth, she saved his life. If she hadn't taken him with her before she had blown up the complex, he would have died in the explosion. She had given him a chance to prove himself, to prove that he was trust worthy, that he wouldn't turn her in to MI6. He owed her that much, if not more.

He stared at her still form. She looked almost peaceful as she lay there, blissfully unaware of where they were. But as she lay there, he saw pain and horror flicker across her face. She began thrashing about. Her lips moved ever so slightly as she repeated the same thing over and over again. He could barely make out the words.

"No. No. Oh god, no." She repeated them over and over again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A/N:

**They had removed his the day before alone with most of the other machines. So he was now only hooked up to the i.v.**


	23. Frustration

**A/N: I am so sorry about the delay. It's just I've been really busy lately. School has started, so updates will probably be more spaced out than they were over the summer. Once again, sorry for the delay. **

**Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers. You guys (and girls) are the best!**

**Now, a little hint for those of you out there who are desperate to find out what **_**the incident**_** is. I have already mentioned something to do with it in two of the previous chapters. It will play a big role in chapters to come. That is all I am going to say for now. **

**Wolfmonster – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. Yea. I know. It would be horrible to see your family die like that. She was only seven at the time. But now can you see why she is the way she is? (I seem to do some of my be writing with violent scenes. I don't know why.) As far as giving the chapter to my beta, I send it to her as soon as I finish it. She usually gets it back to on the same day. I post it as soon as I get it back unless I don't have enough reviews, then; of course, I wait until I have all of my reviews.**

**Lady Zarobiti – Thanks. I know, it's so sad. I kind of feel bad for her too. (Yup. I'm actually that crazy. I'm pitying my own character.) I'm not quite sure how much of her past I am going to reveal in this story. I actually have another story planned that I am probably going to start posting chapters for once I'm finish with this story that is just about Andy's past. It is going to be called 'An Assassin's Story'. **

**AleksandryaGregonovitch – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. That's fine. I've done that before (only I had to redo an entire story). So I understand. **

**Asainwannabe13 – I agree.**

**Quadira Zakia Yoko - I know. That would have been cool if she would have survived, but her death (along with the death of her mother) is the reason that Andy is the way she is. And without Andy being an assassin, there would be no story. As far as more twists, (gins evilly) I have plenty of twists planned. So you need not worry about not getting any surprises. As far as the men, Andy is still trying to find out more about them. You will find out who they are at the same time Andy does.**

**SheWeapon1 – Maybe…maybe not. **

**CGIB – Yea. I know. I will try to make it more interesting in the next chapter or so.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thank you. I'm glad you like it. **

**Static-Lightning - looks guilty I know. I have been having somewhat of a writer's block as far as the hospital scenes. I am really sorry. I will try to give them more length. I am glad I proved you wrong about it being a cliché. And don't worry, there are many more surprises and twists to come. **

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Last Chapter - _She began thrashing about. Her lips moved ever so slightly as she repeated the same thing over and over again. He could barely make out the words._

"_No. No. Oh god, no." She repeated them over and over again._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter 22: Frustration

The door burst open. Three doctors rushed in and hurried to Andy's side. They began taking notes of readings on the monitors and talking hurriedly in hushed voices to one another.

"I think she's waking up."

"Finally. She's been out for days."

"Her heart beat looks normal. Her breathing is too." Alex listened silently to the doctors talk back and forth. He couldn't understand most of it because of all the medical terms they used, but he got the gist of it. Andy was waking up.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_Darkness surrounded her. Pain coursed through her entire body. It consumed her entire being. She tried to escape it, to get up and run from it. But she was trapped. Something held her in place. She couldn't move. She was beginning to feel_ _claustrophobic. The pain increased with every second._

_The darkness surrounding her began to lighten slightly. This gave her some hope. She struggled harder as the light increased. Voices floated around her. They sounded like they were coming from a distance. They were all muddled and confusing. They danced like ghosts at the edge of her hearing, their meaning just out of her reach. _

_The darkness around her continued to lighten. The words that floated around her became slightly clearer, but their meaning was still just out of her reach._

_She felt helpless. She hated the feeling. Maybe it was because of what had happened to her family. She had been helpless then too as she had watched from her hiding place as they had been slaughtered mercilessly in front of her very eyes. No. She couldn't think about that. Not now. She pushed the memories away._

_She tried to move, to do something. She could feel something covering her mouth. Panic welled up inside of her, she felt like she was suffocating. The darkness around her grew even lighter. The voices around her grew clearer. It didn't make sense. If she was suffocating, shouldn't it be getting darker, not lighter? Pain seared up her entire body. She felt weak and helpless. Just like that day…No! She couldn't think about that. _

_She felt like she was floating upwards, being drawn towards the light. She fought the hands that held her down. She felt whatever was covering her facing being removed. The voices around her became clearer. _

_"She's coming around…"_

_"Hold her down…"_

_"It's about time…"_

_"Been almost four days…"_

_Four days. The words pounded through her head. Four days. She had been out for four days. That means she could be anywhere right now. She could be anywhere, with anyone. The panic that welled up inside her grew stronger._

_The light around her grew ever stronger, the voices around her grew clearer, and the pain that coursed through her became almost unbearable. She slowly opened her eyes…_

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Her vision was blurry at first. Odd shapes of color moved around her. The shapes of color gradually formed themselves into faces, people, and things. She felt the thing that was covering her mouth being removed. To her dismay, she saw that thing covering her mouth had been an oxygen mask. She saw nurse push a button on one of the machines she was hooked up to. She felt the pain slowly subside. The button must have the morphine button. _Thank god for morphine._ She thought to herself.

Now that the pain had subsided, Andy took a look at her surroundings. She was on a hospital-like bed in a long, sterile, white room. There were beds on either side of her and several beds against the opposite wall. The only other bed that was occupied was the one to her right. In it lay Alex. He looked like he had gotten off a better than she had. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of worry in his eyes. But then it was gone. She wasn't quite sure if she had imagined it or not.

Her thoughts were interrupted by one of the doctors. He cleared his throat. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Ms…" He looked at the chart he was holding and frowned. "I cannot seem to find your name anywhere." He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to enlighten me as to who you are?" He asked. It seemed to be more of a command than a question. Andy met his steely gaze with her own. She was silent for a bit before answering.

"Why does it matter?" She asked. The doctor paused as if he were trying to come up with a good excuse.

"We need to know your medical history as well as whether or not you have any allergies or other medical conditions." He said finally. A cold smile flickered across Andy's face.

"Well that's just too bad for you now isn't it?" She smiled sweetly at him. "'Cause you aren't going to find out. I assure you, there is nothing to worry about." At this point, Alex almost choked with laughter. The look on the doctor's face was one of pure loathing. Andy's smile was sweet, but her eyes were far from it. She looked like she was seriously thinking about strangling him then and there. Alex had no doubt that she actually was too. After a few moments, the doctor broke eye contact. Andy smirked. "You can call me what everyone else does…Hunter." The doctor raised an eyebrow but scribbled Andy's code name into the file.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Other than being extremely pissed off an annoyed…I'm feeling fine." She growled. A cold smile played across the doctor's face.

"Funny, that's exactly what your boyfriend said." Andy's eyes narrowed. Anger practically radiated from her person. Alex could have sworn that the temperature in the room plummeted. He fought back a groan. This man had to be _really_ stupid if he thought he was going to get away with that one.

"He. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend." She ground out every word like each was a separate sentence. She looked like she was having a hard time keeping herself from killing the man. "We are just partners." Her voice was like ice and her eyes blazed with fury. The doctor look slightly amused. _This is NOT going to end well._ Thought Alex. The doctor simply closed the file in his hand and smiled a cold, satisfied smile.

"Whatever you say miss." He turned and walked towards the door. He paused with his hand on the door handle. He turned to face them again. "And no funny business." He said. " I don't want to have to waste my time treating your bullet wounds." He turned and opened the door and walked out. But not before they heard him mutter, "But why they want you two alive, I have no idea. It'd be doing us all a favor if they just would kill you both and be done with it." The door slammed behind him. They heard the lock click. Andy glared at the closed door. If looks could kill, then both the man the door wouldn't be a problem anymore. _I wish._ Alex thought.

"So, it's good to see you awake." He said.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Mrs. Jones sat in her office wading her way through a mound of paperwork that had piled up over the past few days. Though the capture of Alex and his friend was excellent news, it came with an enormous load of paperwork. She was hoping that the doctor in the clinic where Alex and his friend were currently staying would be able to find out who the mysterious girl was. They could always run her picture through their database, but that would take quite some time, time that she would rather spend elsewhere. She was jerked from her thoughts when the doctor from the clinic walked through the door. He had a frown on his face, which in it's self wasn't that unusual, but Mrs. Jones got the feeling that she would not like his news.

"Yes?" She asked, keeping her face an emotionless mask.

"Ma'am, I am afraid I was not able to get a name out of her. She gave me what I suspect is her code name."

"Which is..."

"Hunter."

"I see…Thank you doctor. You may go." He turned and left, leaving a very frustrated Mrs. Jones in his wake. Her code name, Hunter, was nothing new. Alex had given them that while still on the mission. It had been in one of his first reports. She sighed. They were going to have do this the hard way.

"She picked up the phone on her desk and dialed the number of the head of the tech department.

"Mr. Oliver, this is Mrs. Jones. I need you to get an i.d. for me…I want you to get an i.d. for on of the patients in the clinic…Yes, I will have her photo sent down to you…No Mr. Oliver. I want _you _to get an i.d. for me. Once you do, I want you to bring all of her information strait to me…_in person._ Show no one else the file and make sure _no one _else knows about it…Yes. Thank you." She hung up the phone and reached into her drawer and took out another peppermint. She unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. This was going to be a _long_ day.

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**A/N: So there you have it. The 22****nd**** chapter of Broken Inside. Please review and tell me what you think of it.**


	24. Planning

**A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful reviewers. (hugs) You guys are so encouraging.**

**XxXmaximuM-RideRXxX – Andy is in worse shape than Alex because she took the impact of both the bikes. Alex was thrown clear of the bikes, unlike Andy. And no, Alex did not get off Scot-free. He is injured as well and has not been out of bed since the crash.**

**Lady Zarobiti – Thank you. I'm glad you like it.**

**SheWeapon1 – Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. I agree. Poor Alex. The subject of the crash really won't come up in this chapter at least, but you will be seeing more of her b side.**

**Orabit – I know what the series says. I have read every single one of the books. Everything will be explained in due time. Don't worry.**

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Chapter 23: Planning

Mrs. Jones sat at her desk as usual, sucking a peppermint and doing paperwork. She had gotten a considerable amount of paperwork done since the day before, but she still had some left to do. Her phone ringing interrupted her thoughts.

"Jones." She snapped. "…What are you talking about? She's got to be in a database somewhere…Are you sure you check all of the databases…Well check them all again and again if you have to…Look, I don't care what you do, just _get me a name_…Mr. Oliver, I do not care what resources you use. I want a name by this evening! Do I make myself clear…good. Now if you will excuse me I have work to do, as do you." With that she hung up the phone. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. Things were not going well. The man she had assigned to get an i.d. on Hunter had claimed that he could find no trace of her in any database. If he didn't have her an i.d. by that evening, she would have to see about finding a replacement for him, someone who was better suited for his job. She shook her head and went back to her paperwork. Why did the people under her always have to be so incompetent?

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Alex once again found himself board out of his mind with nothing to do. Andy was asleep in the next bed, so he had no one to talk to for the moment. He had read all of the magazines that were provided at least three times if not more. He cursed fate and MI6 with every swear word he knew, but that only gave him a minimal amount of satisfaction. His leg was hurting him a little where the bullet had grazed him and his ribs were still sore as well as most of his left side, which was covered in bruises. The pain helped distract him a bit, but even that didn't last very long. He had been allowed out of bed a bit earlier that morning, but pacing up and down the dreary white room could only entertain someone for so long. Another thing he occupied himself with was escape plans. He spent a lot of the day going through one plan after another with each plan crazier than the last. The silence of the room was another thing that was driving him insane. He had become so accustom to the beeping of Andy's heart monitor that the room seemed deathly quiet now that she wasn't hooked up to it anymore. All in all, Alex felt like he was slowly going insane.

He lay back on his pillows and stared up at the blank white ceiling. He was desperate to get out of there, but he didn't want to leave Andy. She had gotten him out from under MI6's control. He felt like he owed her at least that much. He sighed. Everyone had always said he had the luck of the devil. But if this is where luck got you, he sure didn't want it. He just hoped that they managed to escape soon.

"Board?" A voice cut through his thoughts. He jerked his gaze from the ceiling to the owner of the voice, Andy. He rolled his eyes.

"You have _no_ idea." She smirked.

"I've barely been awake twenty-four hours and it's already driving me insane." Alex scowled.

"It's been more like eight hours. You've spent a lot of your time sleeping while I lay awake dieing of boredom." He said bitterly. "I'd rather be anywhere than here." He made a face. "The least they could do is make the place look decent." Andy nodded.

"So true. They _really _need to redecorate." She grimaced. "I mean, come on. Even _I _can do better than _this_." She motioned to the blank white walls that surrounded them. Alex nodded in agreement.

"I swear the guy who designed this place had a love for metal and the color white. Not to mention crappy science magazines." He glared at the offending objects that lay on the bedside table.

"Remind me to track the person who decorated this place down and torture him to death once we get out of the horrid place." Andy said. Alex smirked.

"No you won't, not if I get to him first." Alex replied. Andy smirked.

"Is that a challenge Rider?" She asked. A small smile played across his face.  
"And if it is?" A wicked grin spread across her face.  
"Then prepare to get your ass kicked." He raised an eyebrow at her.  
"How do you know I won't be polite and go by the rule of ladies first?" He asked mischievously. Andy narrowed her eyes at him.  
"If you _ever_ apply that rule I will not hesitate to kill you." She growled. He had no doubt that she was telling the truth.  
"Is that a threat?" He asked, grinning even wider.  
"No," She growled. "That's a promise."  
"Big words. The catch is, can you back them up?" He mocked. Andy pushed herself up on one elbow.  
"Remind me to kick your ass once we got out of this mess."  
"I'll look forward to it." He smirked. She glared at him for a bit before she flopped back down on the bed. She let out a slight hiss of pain as she did. A look of worry flickered across Alex's face. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.  
"I'm fine!" She snapped. Alex raised an eyebrow at her.  
"Well pardon me for being concerned." She turned her head and glared at him.  
"Worry about yourself Rider." She snapped.  
"Someone's in a bad mood." He muttered.  
"Maybe it has to do with the fact that we're stuck in this god damned place with no way out!" Alex raised an eyebrow.  
"I think I actually might have a way." He said. Andy immediately perked up.  
"Really?" She asked, suddenly in a _very _good mood. "Spit it out."  
"I was thinking of something along the lines of over powering one of the nurses when they come in to check on us. The nurse that usually checks on us is convinced that neither of us will give her any trouble, so she isn't very careful. She leaves the door unlocked when she's in here so we won't need a key to get out." Andy thought about it for a moment before she answered.

"It could work. It's definitely the best chance we've got." She frowned. "We have to find our clothes though. We won't blend in very well if we're running around London in these stupid hospital gowns." Alex nodded.

"Good point. Our clothes should be nearby somewhere." Andy nodded. "I think the nurse should be here any minute now." He said. Andy grinned; a wicked glint entered her eyes.

"Let the fun begin."

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**A/N: So, what do you think? The next chapter will have plenty of action in it, as you may have figured out by now. I would really appreciate it if everyone would answer all of the questions listed below.**

**Questions:**

**(1) Do you think they will escape?**

**(2) If you think they will, where do you think they will go once they're out (will they stay in London or not)? If you think they won't, what do you think will happen to them when they get caught?**

**(3) Do you have a general idea about what _the incident_ is? (This is only a yes or no question. If you think you know what it is DO NOT give it away! If you want to tell me what you think it is, then you can PM me.)**

**I will try to update ASAP. Please to answer all of the questions listed above. Thank you for reading and have a nice day. )**


	25. Difficulties

**A/N: Thank you to all of those who reviewed, but especially to those who answered the questions. **

**Maxi – Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. (As you can tell I took you up on the offer of shortening your name to Maxi.)**

**Lady Zarobiti – Don't worry. You will find out what the incident is soon. I just have to get through this part of the story yet because Andy can't exactly tell Alex while they're in MI6. As far as your other answers, you will find out soon enough and yes, they will be going to America at one point (though I'm not telling you when). Thank you or reviewing!**

**SheWeapon1 – That is one thing I disagree with you on. Not every one of Alex's escape plans has to work. That just makes it too cheesy. Nobody's perfect and nobody can get it right 100 of the time. Now, I have no problem with them working most of the time. But just not all the time. Anyway, moving on. As far as the incident, you will find out soon. (grins evilly)**

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Last Chapter - "I think the nurse should be here any minute now." He said. Andy grinned; a wicked glint entered her eyes.

"Let the fun begin."

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Chapter 24: Difficulties

Mrs. Jones was in her office as usual doing paperwork and sucking a peppermint. She was interrupted when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter." She snapped. The door opened to reveal a man in his mid to late thirties. He had light brown hair and hazel eyes. He wore a slightly wrinkled black suit and a pair of wire rimmed glasses. He had a thin file clutched in his hands and he looked very nervous as he stepped through the door. "Yes Mr. Oliver?" Asked Mrs. Jones.

"I have a positive i.d. on the girl." He said, handing Mrs. Jones the file. She began leafing through it. "The reason I could not find it at first was because it was not in a database you would normally check in these kind of situations. I found her in the American missing persons database. It says that she has been presumed dead since approximately six years ago. That's why she did not show up in my search the first time." He trailed off. Mrs. Jones looked up from the file.

"Very good. Does anyone else know about what you have been doing?" She asked. The man shook his head.

"No ma'am. You specifically said not to tell anyone." Mrs. Jones nodded.

"Good. You are dismissed." The nervous man exited the room quickly. Mrs. Jones stood and closed the file. Mr. Blunt would want to know of this right away. She hurried out of her office and down the hall to Blunt's office.

Mrs. Jones did not bother knocking on her superior's door. She simply let herself in.

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Blunt looked up as his second in command entered the room. He did not look surprised to see her. She handed him the file she had just received.

"We have a positive i.d. on Hunter. He name is Andrea McLain. She's originally from the US, Las Angeles, California to be precise. She went missing when she was eight years old; a year after her family was murdered. After two years she was presumed dead by the authorities, though there was no physical evidence that she was either dead or alive. She's practically a ghost. We can find no paper trail proving she even exists. We did find a fake i.d. on her person when she was captured. It looks professionally done, though we do not know who did it. We found barely any paper trail for the fake i.d. she had with her. It was the same i.d. used to secure the flat where they were staying. When our people raided the flat we found a variety of illegal weapons, much like the ones we found on their persons, though that was about all we found." Blunt nodded.

"Very well. Try to see if your people can find anything more on Ms. McLain. I would also like to transfer both her and Mr. Rider to a more secure facility as soon as possible." Ms. Jones nodded and exited the room, leaving Blunt with the file.

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Jane Randolph was not what you consider a happy person. She was very straightforward and gruff and she almost never smiled. She worked in the hospital clinic at MI6. She had to deal with all kinds of criminals day in and day out. The one thing she hated the most in life was children. Young children would cry for no apparent reason and teenagers were naturally troublesome. All in all, children were extremely annoying and she would rather keep her distance from them. So, as you can imagine, she was quite annoyed when two teenagers showed in the MI6 clinic. She had heard that they were extremely dangerous and should be watched very closely. There was even a rumor going around that said that one of them used to work for MI6. Of course, Jane dismissed the rumor without a second thought and went about her business as usual you don't just get fired, you get killed. It is a safety precaution. For, if you are not working for them, you could easily be working for their enemies. So, MI6 would have no choice but to tie up any loose ends. (Well, at least that's what they said. But then again, they aren't exactly known for caring whether people around them live or die.)

Today would be her last day on the job, though she did not know that yet. She would be dead by this time tomorrow afternoon. The news media would say it was a random gang shooting. No one would know what really happened. They would think it was just an unfortunate coincidence.

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Agent Garman sat at his station in the security room. In front of him was a wall of screens, each showing a different part of the building. It was his job to watch them. He was responsible for making sure no unwanted visitors made it in and that no unwanted escapees made it out. He knew that the only prisoners in the building at the moment were two teenagers. Knowing this, he didn't keep a close eye on the screens that showed the live footage from the hospital wing. He spent part of the afternoon napping. He would wake up almost half an hour later, only to see the two teens missing from their beds and the unconscious nurse on the floor of the hospital wing. He would search the screens for a glimpse of them. When he found them, he would raise the alarm. But that would not happen for several minutes. After all, what harm could a couple of teenagers do? That was his mistake, one that would cost him his job, and inevitably, his life. He too, would be found the next morning, dead from a bullet to the head. Once again, it would be looked on as an unfortunate coincidence, another random gang shooting. Some people might briefly question the fact that there would be two supposedly random shootings in one day. But no one would worry too much. It would soon fade from their minds, another forgotten news story. They would soon have other things to think about. More pressing issues to worry about.

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When the nurse entered the room, both Alex and Andy were "reading" magazines. Alex put down his magazine when he saw the nurse. The nurse always checked up on him first. The nurse stood with her back turned towards Alex, that was her first mistake. Once Andy was sure that she was concentrating on Alex, she carefully put the magazine down on the bed beside her. She carefully began taking the i.v. out of her arm. That done, she placed the i.v. on the bed beside her. She glanced over at the nurse. She was absorbed in making notes on the cart attached to the clipboard that she held. Andy slowly and silently swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The nurse still didn't notice anything amiss. The nurse had almost finished with Alex when Andy made her move. She came up behind the nurse and used several pressure points to knock her unconscious.

The minute the nurse hit the floor, Andy snatched the ring of keys from the nurses pocket and made towards the door.

"I'll go look for our clothes while you get yourself unhooked from the i.v." She called out behind her. Alex quickly set to work on the i.v. It was pretty simple to get out; therefore it didn't take him very long.

Not too long later, Andy returned wearing the clothes she had been wearing at the time of the crash and carrying Alex's. Both sets of clothes looked like they had been washed at one point for they had no dirt or mud on them. The pants were ripped in a few places, but that didn't really matter. Alex pulled the curtains shut around his bed (there were curtains around every bed just like in a regular hospital) and changed behind them.

Once he had finished changing, he pulled back the curtains. Andy had thrown her hospital gown on her bed. Alex did the same.

"Ready?" Asked Andy. Alex grinned.

"I've been ready for this ever since I woke up." He said. Neither Alex nor Andy could wait to get out of the place.

They made their way over to the unlocked door. Andy carefully opened the door and peered out. She nodded to Alex to signal that the coast was clear. They slipped silently out of the room. The duo found themselves at the end of a long, white corridor. It was lined with closed doors on either side. None of the doors had windows, which could be both good and bad for them. They could not tell if any one was inside, but no one inside could see them as they went by.

The duo made their way down the hall. Fortunately there was no question as to which way to go because the room they had come from was at the very end of the hall. Something seemed wrong. They encountered no guards as they made their way down the hall, which greatly surprised both of them. They had expected to encounter at least one guard by now. But the hall was empty. The only sounds were the soft sounds of their trainers on the tile floor.

They had been walking for barely a minute when they reached a blind turn. There was no way of knowing what lay around the corner. It was risk they had to take if they wanted to find a way out. Alex held his breath as he peeked cautiously around the corner. Nothing. There were no guards. He signaled to Andy that the coast was clear.

They stepped around the corner. Here the doors were fewer and further between. They proceeded cautiously down the hall until they came to a smaller hallway that branched off from the main hallway in which they were. After a quick discussion, they decided that it was best to keep to the main hallway for that was more likely to lead them to freedom.

Several more hallways branched off at random intervals. The hallway became more winding now, with more blind corners and fewer doorways to duck into if need be. A few minutes after they had left the hospital wing, they came to an intersection. It was then that they saw the first guards. They were stationed on either side of the hallway in which they were. There was no way they could get past the guards unseen. They would have to take a different route for they wanted to avoid as much conflict as possible seeing as they weren't exactly in the best condition. So, the duo backtracked to the nearest turnoff and continued on their way.

The hallway they chose was slightly narrower than the one they had just come from. It was more winding and had less turnoffs and doorways. The absence of many guards was making both of them uneasy. Luck had been with them so far, and Alex knew that it was bond to run out eventually. He knew that the closer they got to the exit, the more guards there would probably be. The two of them grew more cautious as time went on. Neither of them could remember the way back to the hospital wing for the maze of hallways had wound around so many times both of them had lost track of which direction they were heading in, not that that made much difference, for they had no idea in which direction the exit was.

Several turns later, they encountered the next set of guards. They were stationed at an intersection of what looked to be the main hallway. Once again, the duo was forced to backtrack and take a different route.

Several minutes later, things started to go wrong. The inevitable happened, the sound that they dreaded cut through the air. The shrill scream of a siren echoed around them. They heard the sound of running feet heading in their direction. Their absence had been discovered. It was only a matter of time now before they were found. They had to get out fast.

The two teens heard footsteps coming from in front of them just around the corner. They took off at a run down the hall in the direction they had just come from. Both of them had slight difficulty running with their injuries, but they did their best to ignore the pain. All that mattered at the moment was getting out.

The footsteps were drawing nearer. They had to get out of sight before the guards rounded the corner. They ducked down the first hall they came to and continued running. The hallway was fairly straight. They were running flat out now. Hearts pounding, they rounded a blind corner, and almost ran into a pair of very startled guards, and behind them was the exit.

Everyone froze for a split second. The two parties stared at each other in shock. Alex and Andy were the first ones to recover. They tried to look for a way past the guards, but there was none. Their only option was to run back the way they had come, away from their goal, away from their only chance of freedom. Regretfully, they turned and took off the way they had come. The guards were not far behind them though. They could hear one man radioing for back up. The duo had to lose the guards soon if they didn't want to get trapped.

The two teens swerved down the first hallway they came to, never slowing down. They made a series of random turns in a vain attempt to lose their pursuers. But it was no use. The guards hung doggedly on. Alex and Andy pushed themselves faster, but their strength was rapidly failing. They were not in very good shape and could not keep up this pace much longer.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the agents began gaining some ground. The gap between them was gradually closing. A sense of hopelessness began to overwhelm the two teens. They had been so close to freedom, so close. But now they were running away from the only hope they'd had of getting out of this place. They began to realize that there was no way they were going to make it.

The gap that separated the guards and the fleeing teens was closing more rapidly now. The wounded teens could not keep this up much longer. Mere feet separated them. It wouldn't be long before they had them. Pure desperation was the only thing that kept the duo going.

With one last burst of energy, Alex and Andy dove around the next corner only to find them selves at a dead end. Looking around desperately, they could find no way out. Andy sagged against the wall. Her side throbbed with pain, as did Alex's leg. They turned around to see their pursuers rounding the corner. In that moment, they knew they were done for. The guards had their HK 11's (1) pointed at the two teens. There was no way out. The duo automatically went into a defense stance. It was at that moment that several guards arrived. It was now two against seven.

"Get your hands in the air!" Ordered one of the guards. Alex and Andy shared a look. They did not need to use words to communicate. In that moment, they wordlessly agreed on one thing; they weren't going down without a fight, no matter how bad the odds were.

"I said get your hands in the air!" Repeated the guard. A look passed between the two teens. Surprisingly, they slowly complied. Suspiciously, two of the guards lowered their guns and moved to handcuff them. But as soon as they were within reach, Alex and Andy struck. Unfortunately, they were greatly outnumbered. The guards converged on them, bringing them down to the floor. They managed to land a few solid punches between them. Several guards had black eyes and one even had a broken nose. The last thing either of the two teens saw was the butt of a gun swinging through the towards their heads.

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**A/N: I am feeling evil right at the moment. Therefore, I will end the chapter here. Mwahahahaha!**

**I think you know what I am going to say next, but I will say it anyway. Please review. Reviews make me happy and I tend to update sooner if I'm in a good mood. The more reviews I get, the sooner the pain of waiting to find out what happens to everyone's two favorite assassins will end. So go on and review…you know you want to! Thank you for reading and have a nice day. )**


	26. Desperation

**A/N: Hey people! I'm back! I know, I know, it's been forever since I updated and I am very sorry. I've just been so busy lately and have had a major case of writer's block. I hope you all haven't given up on me. I feel really bad. Anyway, moving onto the story. I added a part to the last chapter and if you don't go back and read the revised version, this chapter won't make any sense.**

**Maxi – I'm really really reeeeally sorry for not updating sooner. Please don't kill me (though I probably would of I were you =)).**

**Awesomnessness – Thank you very much. I'm glad you like her.**

**Cat 2 – Thank you. That's fine. I understand. **

**Buchworm13 – Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me to hear that.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thanks. As far as the cliffy, I redid that chapter, but the cliffy's still there. **

**CGIB – Everyone, just ignore her ranting. She's my beta reader and she does things like that. =) (dodges objects being thrown by CGIB)**

**SheWeapon1 – Thank you very much. =)**

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Last Chapter - _"I said get your hands in the air!" Repeated the guard. A look passed between the two teens. Surprisingly, they slowly complied. Suspiciously, two of the guards lowered their guns and moved to handcuff them. But as soon as they were within reach, Alex and Andy struck. Unfortunately, they were greatly outnumbered. The guards converged on them, bringing them down to the floor. They managed to land a few solid punches between them. Several guards had black eyes and one even had a broken nose. The last thing either of the two teens saw was the butt of a gun swinging through the air towards their heads._

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Chapter 25: Desperation

The first thing Andy felt as she regained consciousness was pain. She had a throbbing headache and several new bruises. Her vision was blurry when she first opened her eyes, but it gradually cleared, revealing the fact that she was back in the hospital room where they had started. She was still wearing the clothes she had been wearing when they had tried to escape. It was then that she noticed the fact that she couldn't move her left arm very far. Looking down, she saw that it had been handcuffed to the metal bedrail. All possibility of escape was out the window. She proceeded to curse in every language she knew, which, including English was six.

Looking over at Alex, she saw that he was in the same predicament, except for the fact that he wasn't awake.

"Alex." She hissed. "Alex." He stirred and opened his eyes, only to close them quickly again because of the blinding light. He opened them a few seconds later, though a little slower this time. He tried to move his left arm, but found that it, like Andy's, had been handcuffed to the metal rail of his bed. He swore vehemently.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Andy said dryly.

"What do we do now?" Alex asked. Andy shrugged.

"We made it clear that we're not exactly going to cooperate with them. I'm guess it's up to them to make the next move." She said. Alex didn't look very thrilled with the idea, but both of them knew that they had no other option. All they could do was wait.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The two teens didn't have to wait very long. Ten minutes after they woke up, six guards dressed in plain black uniforms stepped into the room. Two men stood guard by the door while the other four men made their way over to the teens. They unlocked the part of the handcuffs that was locked on the bed rail and hauled them both out of bed none to gently. Their right arms, which up until that point hand been free, were wrenched in front of them and the part of the handcuffs that had been attached to the bed was clasped around their wrists.

A guard stood on either side of each of them, grasping them by their forearms and dragging them towards the door. One of the guards by the door opened it and walked out ahead of them while the other followed behind them. MI6 was clearly not taking any risks with them now.

The guards marched them through the seemingly endless labyrinth of hallways. At first they tried to keep track of where they were going, but they quickly lost track of where they were going.

Several minutes later, they reached the exit and were marched out into the blinding sunlight. Their eyes barely had time to adjust to the light before they were shoved into the back of a car. It was black with heavily tinted windows and a tan interior. The lead guard got in the driver's seat and another guard got in the passenger's seat. Andy and Alex found themselves side-by-side with a guard on Andy's right and one on Alex's left. The remaining two guards returned to the building.

The doors locked automatically and the driver started the engine and pulled away from the building.

The car wove through the heavy London traffic, making its way downtown. It didn't take long for Alex to recognize the area and where they were headed. He realized, with a sinking feeling that they were headed for the Royal and General Bank, the secret headquarters of MI6. He looked over at Andy and caught her eye. After making sure that the guards weren't looking he silently mouthed to her; _we need to get out_. _Going to MI6. _He hoped that she got the message. A frown and a tiny nod from her said that she did.

The two sat in silence for a bit, waiting for the right moment. The right moment came as they were driving along the Thames River. Andy caught Alex's eye and gave him a questioning glance. After a moment, he nodded. Without warning, Andy swung her cuffed hands at the head of the guard beside her, hitting him in the temple with the metal cuffs on her wrists. Alex did the same to his guard. The guard in the passenger seat swung around and tried to aim his machine gun them, but the space was too cramped. Alex grabbed the gun and tried to twist it out of his hands while Andy attacked the driver. The car started swerving all over the road as Andy and the guard wrestled for control. They, by some miracle, managed to avoid hitting anyone, but they veered towards the river. Both guards pulled out knives to defend themselves. Andy received a knife wound in the arm and Alex a slash in the leg. After a brief struggle, Andy managed to knock the driver unconscious while Alex knocked out the forth guard by slamming the cuffs that bound his wrist into the man's temple.

By now, the car was completely out of control. Andy shoved the unconscious driver aside and tried bring it under control, but it was too late. The car veered off the road, straight into the river.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The world tilted and became blurry as they sank into the depths of the Thames. Alex could barely see anything. He tried to call out to Andy, but only bubbles escaped his mouth. He realized that he couldn't afford to waist any of his precious air.

Alex felt the car hit the bottom of the Thames as he groped around him, searching desperately for Andy. After several desperate seconds of searching he felt her arm and grabbed hold of it. He could barely see her face through the murky water, but he could see that her eyes were open. A wave of relief swept through him. She motioned towards the windshield. Alex realized that it was cracked, though whether from the impact, or the fight, he did not know.

Andy tugged one of the guard's guns free used the butt of it to try and break the windshield. Alex followed suit with one of the other guard's gun. It seemed to take forever for the windshield to give in to their constant pounding, and by the time it did, they had lost precious time and air. They were running out of time. They had to get to the surface soon.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: Sorry it was so short. I really do need to stop with the cliffhangers don't I? Oh well. I probably won't have the next chapter up for another couple days, so please be patiant. Also, the next chapter is the one you all have been waiting for. MI6's dirty secret (known to you all as "the _incident_") will be revealed. Please review! Thank you for reading and have a nice day!  
**


	27. A Painful Truth

**A/N: Hello again my faithful readers. Here is the chapter you have all been waiting for, the chapter where MI6's dirty secret is revealed.**

**Maxi – Thanks. I know that chapter wasn't one of my best, but I promise, this one will be better. **

**SilentKnightInDisguise11 – I'm glad you like it. As far as Alex and Andy…you'll just have to wait and see. (grins evilly)**

**Lady Zarobiti – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. **

**CGIB – (smirks) Of course it is. (ducks to avoid sharp flying objects) Now CGIB, you really need to stop hurling those things at people. Someone might get hurt. (ducks more flying objects)**

**As far as the book, I got it now. **

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Chapter 26: A Painful Truth

The murky water swirled around them as they struggled to swim to the surface. Both Alex and Andy were both struggling for air. They were hampered by the fact that were wearing handcuffs, but that didn't slow them down much. Both of them were beginning to feel a little lightheaded do to lack of air. Their lungs felt like they were going to burst.

The water around them began to lighten a bit as they neared the surface. They kicked harder with their legs, desperate to get to the surface and get some air.

Without much warning they burst through the surface of the water and into the blinding sunlight. They gasped for air, taking as much air as possible into their oxygen-starved lungs. They had made it to the surface, now all they had to do was make it to dry land.

Side-by-side they began to paddle towards the shore. They were still hampered by the handcuffs, but now that they could breath, they had easier time swimming.

It didn't take very long for them to reach the shore. They hauled themselves up onto one of the docks, collapsing onto the solid wood. They were just glad to be back on dry land.

"You all right?" Asked Alex after he had regained his breath, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Andy nodded and heaved herself to her knees. Alex stood shakily and held out his hand to her, helping her to her feet.

"I'm fine." She said. "We have to get out of here before the police come." Alex nodded, his face grim.

"You able to run?" He asked. Andy gave him a withering look.

"I'm not weak Rider. I can take care of myself." Alex shrugged.

"Alright, but don't blame me if you collapse." With that, he took off running, dodging through the startled crowds with Andy in hot pursuit. Passers by stared at the two teens that were dripping wet with a variety of cuts and bruises and hands cuffed in front of them.

The pair got off the main road as quickly as possible; dodging down the first alley they came to. Their boots were soaking wet and muddy. Their clothing clung to their skin and the normally comfortable air felt colder due to their sopping wet state. Their breath came short and ragged, and after almost half an hour of running through the back streets of London, they found that they could not keep going.

Alex and Andy stopped in a deserted alleyway, sinking to the ground with their backs against the rough brick wall of a rundown building that formed one side of the alley. They were both trying to catch their breath from their run. After a few moments, Alex spoke.

"Well, at least we're out of there." He said. Andy frowned.

"The problem now is where do we go? We have no money, no safe house, no food, and the only thing we do have is the clothes on our backs."

And of course the handcuffs that our MI6 friends so kindly gave us." Said Alex, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The first thing we need to do is get out of these bloody things."

"Happen to have any thin, metal, objects on you?" Asked Andy.

"Nope" Alex replied. "You?" Andy shook her head. Alex frowned. "How are we going to get out of these?" He asked, holding up his cuffed wrists. Andy sighed.

"I guess we'll just have to try and find something that will work as a lock pick." Andy and Alex began searching the ground for anything that would work as a lock pick. After almost ten minutes of searching, Alex struck gold. He found a rusted piece of wire that looked like at one point it might have been a coat hanger, though he was quite sure.

"I found something." He called softly to Andy who was several feet away searching through a pile of junk. Andy stood up and wiped some strands of damp hair out of her face and made her way over to him, relief evident in her eyes.

After several minutes of wrestling with the cuffs, Alex finally managed to get them off. He handed the wire to Andy who was now sitting on the ground beside him. Andy attacked her handcuffs with much vigor, eager to get rid of them finally. Alex rubbed his wrists where they had been rubbed raw by the cold metal. It was a relief to finally have his hands free.

Alex leaned back against the cool, brick wall and stared absently up at the hazy sky while Andy wrestled with her handcuffs. It did not take her long to get them undone. She threw the wire aside once she had unlocked them and gratefully slipped them off. She was about to toss the cuffs away too when Alex stopped her.

"Keep them. You never know when they might come in handy." After thinking about it, Andy realized that he was right.

"Your right." She said, clipping them onto her belt. "They might prove to be useful." Alex did the same with his cuffs.

"So, what do we do now?" He asked. Andy was quiet for a bit before answering.

"We need to find some dry clothes and a place to hole up for tonight, as well as some food and hopefully some other supplies." She said.

"Where do we get these things?" Alex asked.

"Where ever we can find them." Andy replied. "I know of an abandoned apartment building a couple of blocks from here and I have a friend nearby where I can probably get some supplies that will last us a little while. He owes me a favor." Alex shrugged.

"Alright." He said. "Just as long as we have somewhere to stay and some dry clothes." The two sat there for a bit on silence. It was Andy who broke the silence.

"You remember when we first met in that warehouse in the Black Circle compound?" She asked. Alex nodded. "Remember what I said to you about your father." Alex tensed slightly.

"Yeah. You said something about him not being killed by Scorpia. What of it?" Andy paused before continuing.

"Everything I said was true. Your father was not killed by Scorpia."

"Then who killed him?" Alex asked. Andy paused again before answering.

"MI6." She said softly "He was killed by MI6." Alex stared at her in shock.

"But…but he worked for them." Andy shook her head.

"I'm guessing that they told you he worked for them and was trying to infiltrate Scorpia. Right?" Alex nodded silently.

"It was the other way around. Your father worked for Scorpia before he got recruited into MI6. He pretended to work for MI6, but in reality he was smuggling information out to Scorpia." Alex was quiet for a moment, trying to process what Andy had told him.

"When I went to Scorpia, they showed me a video of the exchange on Albert Bridge." He said softly. "They showed me Mrs. Jones giving the order to the MI6 sniper to shoot my father. But when I was caught by MI6, they told me that the whole thing had been faked. They said that they _had _shot him, but he had been wearing a bullet-proof vest and that the blood was fake." He turned to Andy. "Your telling me that Scorpia was telling the truth?" He asked. Andy nodded.

"The blood was not fake Alex. MI6 killed your father. They lied to you so you would turn on Scorpia and come back to them." Alex shook his head.

"But Ash said that he had put the bomb on the plain that killed my parents. He said that Scorpia had had him kill my parents as a test of loyalty." He said softly. Andy shook her head.

"I don't know the full story or who this Ash is. All I know is that MI6 killed your father on Albert Bridge and then blamed it on Scorpia. I've told you everything I know about it." Alex leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"None of this makes any sense." He said. He sat up straight and shook his head. "Are you sure MI6 killed my father?" He asked.

"I wouldn't lie to you about something like this Alex. I know what it's like to lose a father and not know how he died. I know how it is to not know the truth about what happened." She said softly. Alex was silent for a moment.

"Did you ever find out what happened?" He asked. Andy shook her head.

"No." She said softly. "I'm still looking for the answers." A heavy silence fell between them. Alex thought about what Andy had told him. He remembered all too well the day that Ash had died, the day he had found out what he had thought was the truth behind his parent's death. His mind drifted back to that day on Dragon Nine.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**(A/N: This next part is Alex remembering what happened with Ash on Dragon Nine. This scene is taken directly from the book Snakehead. Every word of it is the work of the brilliant Anthony Horowitz. I do not own any of it. I am simply borrowing it.)**

_"When did you start working for Scorpia, Ash?" He asked._

_Ash glanced a Major Yu._

_"Tell him…but be quick," Yu snapped. "I don't think we have very much time."_

_"It was after Mdina." Ash's voice was weak. His face was gray, and he could no longer move from the chest down. One hand was on his chest. The other lay palm upward on the floor. "You can't understand Alex. I was so badly hurt. Yassen…" he coughed, and blood speckled his lip. "I had given everything to the service. My life. My health. I wasn't even thirty, and I was crippled. I was never going to sleep properly, never eat properly. From that day on it was just pills and pain. And what was my reward? Blunt humiliated me. I was demoted, taken out of the field. He told me…" Ash swallowed hard. With every word he was finding it hard to go on. "He told me what I already knew." He rasped. "I was second rate. Never as good…as your dad."_

_He had almost come to the end of his strength. His shoulders slumped, and for a moment Alex thought he had gone. The blood was all around him now. There was a steady flow of it from his mouth._

_Major Yu was enjoying himself. "Why don't you tell him the rest of it, Ash?" He crowed._

_"No!" Ash straightened his head. "Please.."_

_"I already know." Alex said. He turned to Ash one last time. He could hardly bare to look at him. "You killed my parents, didn't you? The bomb on the airplane. You put it there."_

_Ash couldn't answer. His hand tightened on his chest. He had only seconds left._

_"We had to test him," Major Yu explained. "When he came over to us, we had to make sure he was telling us the truth. After all, we had just been tricked by one British intelligence agent…John Rider. So we set him a very simple task, one that would prove to us with no doubt that he had really switched sides." _

_"I didn't want to…" It wasn't Ash's voice. It was just a whisper._

_"He didn't want to, but he did. For the money. He put the bomb on the plane and he detonated it with his own hand. Rather more successful than his mission in Mdina. And the start of a long association with us."_

_"Alex…"_

_Ash tried to look up. But his head fell forward. He was dead._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Alex was shaken out of his reverie when Andy stood up and spoke.

"We should really get going. The sun is starting to set." She said. Alex looked up at the sky and realized that the sun was indeed starting to sink below the horizon. Andy offered him a hand and he took it, letting her help pull him to his feet.

The two then set off down the dark alleyway. Their footsteps echoed around them as they walked on the dirty, cracked, pavement.

Alex was not focused on where they were going. He simply followed behind Andy. His thoughts kept turning back to what Ash had said that day on Dragon Nine. Ash had said that he killed John and Helen Rider, but did he really? Or was it just another lie?

Alex didn't know what to believe, but he knew one thing for certain; MI6 had lied to him about the death of his parents, but he was determined to find out the truth…no matter the cost.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: Well there you have it. MI6's secret is out. Now, I know you are all wondering how this can possibly be true due to the events of Snakehead, but you will have to wait and find out. Trust me, I have an explanation for everything and I will explain in due time. Please review and tell me what you think of it!**

**Also, there is now a poll up on my profile that will help decide the part of the future of this story. This is one of the few times that you, the readers, get to decide what happens eventually. So please go visit my profile and vote. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!**


	28. Missing Pieces

**A/N: I am sooooo sorry for the long wait. I had a bit of writers block, but I'm over it now. Enjoy!**

** – No, it's not "prearranged". Alex and Andy are NOT related to each other. As far as being soul mates…well…that's up to you readers. There is a poll on my profile that will decide that. (I really need more people to vote.)**

**Maxi – Thanks. There will be some more action coming up soon...I promise. **

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thanks. I'm trying not to put too many cliffies in (and failing). I really am. I don't think this chapter is much of a cliffie.**

**CGIB – (dodges sharp objects) Now now CGIB, stop throwing those things. Someone might get hurt. (ducks more flying objects)**

**Lady Zarobiti – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. **

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Chapter 27: Missing Pieces

Alex and Andy made their way through the back streets of London though the ever-growing darkness. They kept to the alleys and side streets as much as possible, for they knew that police were probably swarming the city searching for them.

Their clothes had begun to dry, but as the sun set, the air grew chillier. They tried to stay as silent as humanly possible as they traversed the dirty, winding, trash-strewed, alleys. Andy seemed to be confident as to where she was going, so Alex didn't question her.

The two teens walked together in silence for a while. Alex was careful to memorize their route and stored it in the back of his mind for later use.

Walls of brick, stone, and cinder block rose up on either side of them. The alleys were lines with over-flowing trash bins, dumpsters, and garbage bags. More trash littered the dirty, cracked, pavement. Rusty fire escapes that looked like they hadn't been used in years climbed their way up the bare walls of almost every building. All of the windows in the buildings that over-looked the alleys were covered with either blinds or curtains and the only light came from the few windows the were lit up, but even so, they could barely see anything.

But none of this seemed to bother Andy. She moved with an almost inhuman, cat-like, grace. Fifteen minutes later found them on one of the calmer streets of London. The crept along in the shadows, avoiding the pools of light provided by the street lights. A few cars whizzed by and a few people hurried past, eager to get home and out of the cold. No one paid much attention to the two teens sulking in the shadows. They made their way down the almost deserted street. After three blocks, they turned onto a street that was slightly busier than the last one. After about six blocks, they came to a large building that looked like it was being renovated. Andy led Alex down the alley beside it until they came to a whole in the wall that looked like a window belonged there.

Andy hauled herself up onto the window sill and dropped down inside, motioning for Alex to follow. He cautiously followed suit.

Andy led him through the empty rooms until she found one that suited her. The room had two windows and only one door. Rolls of carpet were piled up against one wall and several power tools were grouped in one corner.

"We can sleep here tonight." Said Andy softly. It was the first time since their conversation in the alley that they had spoken.

"Um, won't the workers find us here in the morning?" He asked. Andy shook her head.

"We'll leave just before dawn." Seeing his skeptical look, Andy reassured him. "I lived on the streets for three years. I've done this kind of thing before. They won't even know we were here." Alex slowly nodded.

Andy picked a spot in the corner furthest from the door, right near a window, for them to sleep.

"It's not much, but it's better than nothing. At least we have a roof over our heads." Alex frowned.

"We're just going to sleep on the hard wood floor?" He asked.

"Yup." Andy said almost cheerfully. "It's not that bad once you get used to it." She reassured him, laying down on the floor. "If we sleep closer together, our combined body heat will keep us warm." Alex didn't look very thrilled at the idea, but it made sense. With a heavy sigh, he laid down close to Andy who promptly rolled over and fell asleep facing away from him. Alex situated himself on the floor close Andy, but not close enough that they were touching. He rolled over so he was facing away from her and tried to go to sleep.

As he lay there, he let his mind wander once more towards what Andy had told him and the events that took place on Dragon Nine. He tried to reason it out in his mind. The problem was, he didn't know what was the truth and what was the lie. Parts of it fit. But there were still some missing pieces. He thought back to his meeting with Mrs. Rothman and the video she had showed him of his father's death. MI6 had claimed it was staged, but had it been? Had Mrs. Rothman really been telling the truth? And if Rothman _had_ been telling the truth, why had they tried to kill him?

So many questions rolled through his mind, yet he didn't know the answers to any of them. Thinking back over everything he had been told, he found it hard to know where the truth stopped and the lies began. He didn't know who's word he could trust. After all, Ian, MI6, Scorpia, Ash…they had all lied to him, hadn't they?

Alex sighed. It wasn't doing any good laying here asking questions like this. He decided to try and get some sleep and think about his problems in the morning.

It wasn't long before his exhausted body let him slip into a light sleep.

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**A/N: Sorry it's so short. Please review and I will try to update soon. =)**

**Oh, and one more thing. All of you need to go to my profile and find the poll I posted there and vote. It will help decide the fate of this story to some extent. So please GO VOTE!!!! I need to know what you (the readers) want to happen.  
**


	29. Dilemmas

**A/N: Wow, I hadn't realized how long it has been since I updated. Sorry about that. This chapter should be longer, so hopefully that will partially make up for the long wait.**

**Freakily obsessed Yassen fan – Thank you. I tried very hard to give you guys a break from my torturous cliffies, I'm glad I succeeded. **

**Maxi – Thank you for voting!!!! (to other unvoting readers) I really need more voters!!!**

**Lady Zarobiti – Thanks. Alas, during my science class, we can't get away with that kind of stuff. (sulks) **

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Chapter 28: Dilemmas

"What should we do now?" Asked Mrs. Jones. Blunt was standing with his back turned to her, staring out the window.

"We should bring them in again. They couldn't have gone far." Mrs. Jones frowned.

"We already brought them in once and they escaped. Do you really thing we'll be able to catch them a second time?" She asked.

"We have no choice. We can't let them run free." Blunt replied. Mrs. Jones shook her head.

"This is exactly what I was afraid would happen if we pushed him too far, which we obviously have."

"If you do remember, he agreed to every one of those missions." Blunt pointed out.

"He agreed, but only because we _blackmailed_ him into doing it." Retorted Mrs. Jones.

"It was a matter of national security. He was the best one for the job." Blunt replied calmly. Mrs. Jones frowned.

"He might have been the best one, but he wasn't the only one. We have plenty of other agents that would have been capable of pulling off those missions." Blunt turned away from the window and sat down in his chair.

"I always knew you were too soft with that boy Mrs. Jones. He was the right one for the job, end of discussion." He said firmly, his emotionless, gray, gaze meeting the darker one of his second in command.

"What about now?" She asked. "What are you going to do now that he's gone rogue?"

"We can't leave him running loose." Replied Blunt coolly.

"But they'll be expecting us now, so it won't be as easy capturing them a second time." Pointed out Mrs. Jones.

"Except for the fact that they have far less resources now than they did then." Blunt argued. Mrs. Jones sighed.

"We don't know how many resources they have. Andrea could very well have more contacts here in London than we know about already."

"It doesn't matter. I'm sending out a team of our top agents to bring them in." Mrs. Jones shook her head.

"Don't." She said coolly. Blunt raised an eyebrow at that.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"I think I know who we should send instead." She replied evenly.

"Who?" Inquired Blunt.

"The only people left who have a chance of getting through to him…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Much to Alex's dislike, Andy roused him before dawn the next day. He was stiff and sore from a night spent on a hard wood floor and had only managed to get a few hours of sleep due to the fact that he was not used to sleeping arrangements such as this. He reluctantly uncurled himself and got to his feet.

"Where are we going now?" He asked. A small smile flickered across Andy's face.

"We're going to see another friend of mine." She said, leading him over to one of the windows, which didn't have glass in it. She swung herself up onto the windowsill and dropped into the alley on the other side. Alex followed suit, landing not quite as gracefully beside her. Andy started walking down the alley, not even turning to see if Alex was following, for she knew he would be.

Fifteen minutes and several turns later found them at the back of a large house made of dark, red, brick. All of the windows on the ground floor had the blinds drawn, but they could still see light coming from inside. Andy pushed the doorbell beside the plain, wooden door three times. They wait several minutes before plump woman whose light brown hair was streaked with strands of white opened the door. She was wearing a plain, dark green dress and white apron and her hair was pulled up in a bun.

"What do you want?" She asked, eyeing them us suspiciously. Andy did not seem the least bit worried.

"Tell Mr. Blanchard that Hunter is here and that I need to speak with him immediately." She ordered. The woman peered at them suspiciously for a moment before closing the door again. They could barely hear her heavy footsteps retreating deeper into the house. They waited several minutes before they heard her returning to the door. She yanked it open and beckoned them in. They stepped over the threshold and into what looked to be a large kitchen.

"Wipe your shoes on the mat." The woman ordered as they entered. The obediently did as they were told, wiping the mud and dirt onto the worn mat that was just inside the door. Once the woman was satisfied, she led them out of the kitchen, through an ornate dining room, turning left into a living room, and to a pair of tall, ornately carved doors. She left them standing before the doors and retreated back the way they had come.

Andy rapped sharply on the door twice.

"Enter." Came the sharp command from inside the room. Andy pushed open the doors a walked through them, closing them again as soon as she and Alex were through.

The room they found themselves in was an ornate study. A large desk made of polished walnut dominated the room. Papers were stacked neatly to on side of the desk and an expensive computer sat slightly off to the other side. Behind the desk, a man slightly over weight man wearing a crisp, black suit sat in a comfy, black leather, office chair. The walls of the study were lined with book cases made of the same polished walnut as the desk and double doors, though they held not only books, but also several exotic guns, knives, swords and other such souvenirs. The walls were a pale cream color with walnut trim and cream-colored drapes were drawn across the windows.

"Hello Hunter. It's so nice to see you again." The man said, his voice cheerful and inviting. "Please, sit, sit." He said, motioning to the two leather chairs that sat in front of his desk. The two teens sat down in the chairs. Mr. Blanchard sized up Alex for a moment before continuing. "So, I see you've managed to escape from the grasp of MI6." He said, turning to Andy. Andy winced.

"You heard about that?" She asked. Blanchard nodded.

"I must say I'm impressed that you've gone so long without getting caught." He turned to Alex.

"And how exactly did she manage to drag you into this?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" Asked Alex. He didn't like this guy at all. He didn't know why. It was just a feeling he had, but it was feelings like this that had saved his life in the past. Blanchard raised his hands in submission.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop with the questions." He said. "But I have to call you something other than 'Hunter's new partner'." Alex studied him for a bit before answering.

"Tiger. You can call me Tiger." He said. Blanchard nodded.

"Well, Tiger, Hunter, what can I do for you?" He asked. Andy was the one that answered.

"We need a few _supplies _and a favor. We lost everything we had with us other than the clothes on our backs when we were captured." She said.

"Would these _supplies _happen to kill people?" He asked.

"Indeed they would." Andy replies coolly. Blanchard frowned

"The intelligence agencies do not know anything about me or my operations. If they find out I helped you, they will be all over my ass. My operations will be jeopardized as well." Andy met his gaze evenly.

"You own me more than one favor Blanchard. I'm the only reason your operations _aren't_ in jeopardy yet." She pointed out. "Besides, no one but us will know about your involvement with this. All we need is some weapons, a bit of money for supplies, and a place to stay for a few days until we can safely escape London. That's all we're asking." Blanchard frowned.

"How can I be sure you'll keep my name out of this?" He asked. Andy gave him a winning smile.

"Have I ever let you down?" She asked sweetly. Blanchard's frown deepened.

"No. But…" Andy interrupted him before he could get any further.

"My point exactly." Blanchard looked unconvinced. "Look Blanchard," Andy's voice hardened. "Either you're my friend or my enemy. Which is it?" Blanchard pursed his lips.

"Fine." He gave in. "But if _anyone_ finds out I helped you, you'll be the first ones I come after." He and Andy's eyes met over the desk. Their gazes locked for a moment, before Blanchard tore his gaze away. He stood and made his way over to one of the bookcases to the left of the door. Andy and Alex got to their feet. Blanchard used his body to block their view of what he was doing. But Alex could see that he pulled a book of the shelf, though he couldn't exactly which one or where exactly it belonged. Immediately, he stepped backwards the whole bookshelf swung outwards, revealing a hidden passage. Blanchard motioned for them to go through. Andy stepped through the doorway and into the blackness. Alex hesitantly followed suit. Blanchard followed just behind them. As soon as Blanchard was through, he pulled a hidden leaver beside the door and it swung closed, throwing them into darkness. Blanchard flipped a light switch near the door, turning on a row of florescent bulbs that lined the ceiling.

The floor of the tunnel was solid oak, while the ceiling and walls were covered in plaster and painted white. The tunnel did not go straight ahead, but went left. Three feet in front of them, a steep flight of stairs led them downward. Blanchard led them down the stairs which continued down for a good thirty feet before coming to an end and continuing forward about five feet. The tunnel was cut off by a large door of reinforced steel. Alex could see a keypad on the wall beside the door, though once again, Blanchard used his body to block their view of what he was doing when he punched in the code.

As soon as the code was entered, there was a soft click, signaling that the door had successfully been unlocked. Blanchard opened the door and flipped on a light switch that was on the wall just inside the door.

The trio found themselves in a large, underground warehouse. Stacks of crates lined three of the four walls and many were scattered throughout the open space in the middle. Blanchard led them over to a stack of crates that sat against the wall to their left.

"I just got a new shipment in last week, so you're lucky. I've got a pretty good variety." He said. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"Since we're on the run we want to travel as light as possible." She said turning to Alex. " What do you say we get a M110 SASS an a M60E3 between us an then one side arm and a knife each?" Alex nodded.

"Sounds good to me." Andy nodded Blanchard who sorted through the stack of boxes until he found the two he was looking for. He pulled out an M110 and a M60E3, b and handed them to Andy who was closest to him. Andy promptly handed the M110 to Alex.

"What do you want for side arms?" He asked.

"A Desert Eagle." Said Andy before looking expectantly at Alex.

"A Beretta M9." He said. Blanchard once again dug out the appropriate crates and removed the desired objects, with their respective holsters and handed them to their respective owners.

"Knives?" He asked.

"A FM 78." Replied Andy. Blanchard looked at Alex.

"Kabar Fighting Knife." Was Alex's curt reply. Blanchard put away the four crates he had gotten out and moved to another stack of crates where he removed two slightly smaller crates, from which he retrieved the requested items, and their respective sheaths. After replacing the two crates, he turned to the two teens.

"So, what's this favor you need?" He asked. Alex didn't know what Andy was planning, but he knew from experience that she knew what she was doing.

"At the moment we're broke. I have a lot of money in my bank accounts, but we can't risk going to the bank to get it. MI6 might be watching the banks. Luckily though, they know nothing of our financial situation." She said. Blanchard looked slightly confused.

"How does this involve me?" He asked.

"I was hoping I could use a computer to create another bank account and I could transfer the money we need into the account via the internet. Then you or one of your guys could go to the bank and withdraw it and bring it back here. That way MI6 won't get suspicious." Blanchard studied her for a moment before answering.

"Alright. I'll do it, but if they get suspicious, you two are the first ones I'm coming after." He said. Andy gave him a winning smile.

"Great. All we have to do is set up the account and move the money." Blanchard started towards the door that lead back to his study.

"You can use my computer." He said. Andy frowned.

"I don't think so. You deal in electronics, don't you?" She asked. Blanchard stopped and turned around to face them.

"Yes. Some." He replied, not quite seeing what Andy was getting at.

"I think I saw some crates of computers back there. We could use one of them." Blanchard frowned.

"But if we did that we would have to destroy the computer, and that would cost me money."

"How much?" Asked Andy.

"£700." Was Blanchard's curt reply.

"Done. I can transfer the money to your account from the new account." Blanchard studied her for a moment before agreeing.

"Very well." He lead them over to another stack of crates. After a bit of sorting through them, he found the one he wanted. He opened it and pulled out a laptop computer, setting it on the crate beside him while he replaced the crate he had gotten it from. He then picked up the laptop and began leading the way back upstairs to his study with Alex and Andy close behind.

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**A/N: I know, the ending was kind of bad, but it was the best I could do. I hope the length of this chapter will partially make up for the long wait. The next chapter should be up fairly soon seeing as my plot bunnies have finally decided to come back. It should be about the same length as this one, maybe a little bit shorter, I don't know. Some of you may have guess part of what is going to happen soon, but if you know, DON'T TELL!!!!! Old faces will reappear, new twists will be thrown in, and turmoil will ensue! (grins wickedly) This is far from over…**

**Extra Note: I NEED VOTERS!!!!!!!! I need to know what you people want to happen as far as Alex and Andy. Please go to my profile and VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll give you a cookie. ( :: ) (puppy eyes)**


	30. Last Resort

**A/N: First if all, I feel really horrible about the long wait. My computer crashed and my mom tried to fix it (she usually can but this one turned out to be a spectacular failure). It's been dead for weeks and I've been trying to juggle last minute school work and convincing my mom to just admit defeat with the computer and take the hard drive to someone who can rescue the files off of it (it took me almost two weeks to convince her to give up and take the hard drive to someone else, she doesn't like admitting when she can't do something and she is very stubborn). Anyway, I just got my flash drive of files back today, so here you are.**

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Chapter 29: Last Resort

Andy sat at Blanchard's desk typing away on the laptop they had gotten from the storeroom. Alex sat in one of the chairs across from her. He had positioned the chair so that he could easily see what was happening outside the room. One of the double doors of the study was standing open. Blanchard was standing just outside the door talking in a low voice to a man that was mostly hidden by the second door that was closed. Alex assumed that the man was the one who was going to go get the money from the bank. He glanced briefly at Andy.

"You almost done?" He asked. Andy didn't look up from the computer.

"I'm almost done setting up the account. As soon as I'm finished I'll transfer the money and we'll be good to go." She replied. Alex glanced back at Blanchard, not wanting to take his eyes off of him for more than a few seconds. Something just didn't seem right. His instincts were screaming for them to get out of there, but they had no choice. With no money, they were screwed.

"Something bothering you?" Asked Andy softly, glancing briefly at him.

"Something just doesn't seem right." Said Alex, keeping his voice low so as not to attract attention.

"What doesn't seem right?" Andy pressed.

"I don't know. My instincts are telling me that something's off about this guy, and my instincts aren't usually wrong." He replied, never taking his eyes off of Blanchard.

"As are mine. But we don't really have a choice. Blanchard my last contact in London who it's safe to go to. The rest of them are either under surveillance by the government or are informants for whoever pays them the most, whether they be MI6, MI5, or some huge criminal organization. They aren't too picky on who they sell their information to, as long as they get rich when it's all said and done." She said grimly. "I don't trust that bastard as far as I can throw him, which isn't very far considering the fact that he really needs to go on a diet." Alex glanced at her. She looked up and caught his look. "What? It's true." She defended herself. Alex shook his head in amusement as he went back to keeping an eye on Blanchard. Just then, Blanchard finished talking to the man and reentered the room. The pair fell silent.

"You done yet?" He snapped, clearly not happy with the situation, though Andy really hadn't given him much choice in the matter.

"Just give me a second…and…there. It's done. 4,500£. Ready to be picked up." She said as she searched for a piece of paper. She found a tablet of paper sitting on the desk along with a pen. She scribbled down the necessary information and ripped the piece off and handed it to Blanchard. "Give that to your guy. It has the account information and the name and address of the bank." Blanchard reached for the paper. But last minute, Andy pulled it back, just out of his reach. He looked annoyed. "There is 4,500£ in that account. Once I have the money, I'll transfer your money to that account and then to yours. If we get the money as soon as humanly possible, I might be generous and add in another 100£ for your trouble. But that's only _if _we get _all _of our money in a very timely fashion, and _if_ your guy gets away clean. If people start asking too many questions…" She let the sentence hang. Everyone in the room knew what would happen if people started asking too many questions, and everyone knew that it would not be pretty. Blanchard nodded hurriedly.

"You have nothing to worry about." He assured her quickly. Andy studied him a few seconds before handing him the paper.

"The clock is ticking." She said, her eyes cold and emotionless. Blanchard nodded and hurriedly exited the room.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Four men walked down the bleak, white hallway on the sixteenth floor of the Royal and General Bank, also known as the secret head quarters of MI6. They stopped before the door with the plaque on it that said '_Alan Blunt_'. The darker of the four knocked sharply on the door.

"Enter." Snapped a voice from inside. The man opened the door and led his companions inside. They found themselves in an equally bleak room. Before them, an unremarkable, gray man sat behind a neat desk and a slightly younger and darker woman stood by his side. The four men stood at attention before the pair.

"At easy gentlemen." Said the woman, Mrs. Jones. The men relaxed slightly. No one wasted any time with pleasantries. They all knew who each other was, besides, there was a much more important matter at hand. The man behind the desk, Alan Blunt, spoke for the first time since they had entered and he got straight to the point.

"We have called you here today to discuss a very important matter, one that concerns your unit and one that we feel only your unit can deal with." The four soldiers were puzzled, but they were careful not to let it show.

"What is this matter exactly?" The apparent leader, the darkest man, asked cautiously.

"One of our agents has gone rogue. We have had him in custody once, but he managed to escape. You are our last chance of getting him back alive." Mrs. Jones replied.

"Why don't you just eliminate him? You have plenty of other agents." The man reasoned. Blunt and Jones exchanged a look.

"He's not…" Mrs. Jones paused for a second, as if trying to find the right words. "He's not an ordinary agent. He is far better than any other agent we have." The men looked slightly puzzled.

"Why us?" Asked the more relaxed of the four men. "Why don't you send some of your other agents?"

"Because he knows you. If he's going to trust anyone, it will be you." The four men exchanged glances.

"Who is he?" Asked blond man. Mrs. Jones picked up a remote from the desk.

"His name is Alex Rider." She said. The more relaxed of the four stiffened. He seemed to be the only one that recognized the name. Mrs. Jones pointed the remote at the screen behind her. She pushed a button and an all too familiar face came up on the screen. The men's eyes widened. It was a face that the four men hadn't seen for almost two years, but they would still know that look anywhere.

"Cub." The fourth man breathed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Two hours later…

Alex and Andy were starting to get restless. Two hours had passed, yet Blanchard's man still hadn't returned. Neither teen had moved from their spots since the man had left, leaving Blanchard standing, though neither of them really cared. Blanchard had been pacing back and forth, checking his watch ever few minutes for the past hour. He was getting nervous because he knew what would happen if Andy didn't get her money, he knew what she was capable of.

Just then, Blanchard's man returned. Blanchard quickly took the bag from him and handed it to Alex, who was closest to him. Alex handed it across the desk to Andy.

"There. You have your money." Said Blanchard. Andy held up her hand to silence him.

"Let me make sure it's all here." She said coolly as she counted the money. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw the delivery man starting to look very nervous. He narrowed his eyes at the man.

"You got something to be nervous about?" He asked suspiciously. The man shook his head hurriedly. At that moment, Andy finished counting the money. She came up short 1,000£. Before anyone could react, she drew her gun and trained it on the messenger. Her eyes flashed as she moved around the desk towards him, never taking her eyes off either man.

"Where is the money?" She hissed.

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**A/N: I know. I'm evil. But I couldn't help myself. Now we know who MI6 is going to send after Alex. (grins wickedly) This is going to be **_**very**_** interesting. And what do you think will happen to Blanchard and his guy? Please review!  
**


	31. Numb

**A/N: First of all, I want to apologize for my long and rather unexpected hiatus from fanfiction. I thought that I would have a lot more time to write. It turns out I was very wrong. Between rodeos, training my horses, and vacations, I have had almost no time to write, and the little time I did have was spent trying to catch up on sleep. I am very very sorry. Ok, I'll shut up now and let you get on with the story.**

**Xamyjayne – Thank you. I'm glad you like it. As far as Wolf, you'll just have to wait and find out. =P**

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Here now don't make a sound  
Say have you heard the news today?  
One flag was taken down  
To raise another in its place  
A heavy cross you bear  
A stubborn heart remains unchanged  
No home, no life, no love  
No stranger singing in your name

Maybe the season  
The colors change in the valley skies  
Dear God I've sealed my fate  
Running through hell, heaven can wait

Long road to ruin there in your eyes  
Under the cold streetlights  
No tomorrow, no dead end in sight

Let's say we take this town  
No king or queen of any state  
Get up to shut it down  
Open the streets and raise the gates  
I know one wall to scale  
I know a field without a name  
Head on without a care  
Before it's way too late

Maybe the season  
The colors change in the valley skies  
Oh, God I've sealed my fate  
Running through hell, heaven can wait

Long road to ruin there in your eyes  
Under the cold streetlights  
No tomorrow, no dead ends

Long road to ruin there in your eyes  
Under the cold streetlights  
No tomorrow, no dead end in sight

For every piece to fall in place  
Forever gone without a trace  
Your horizon takes its shape  
No turning back, don't turn that page

Come now, I'm leaving here tonight  
Come now, let's leave it all behind  
Is that the price you pay?  
Running through hell, heaven can wait

Long road to ruin there in your eyes  
Under the cold streetlights  
No tomorrow, no dead ends

Long road to ruin there in your eyes  
Under the cold streetlights  
No tomorrow, no dead ends

Long road to ruin there in your eyes  
Under the cold streetlights  
No tomorrow, no dead end in sight

Lyrics to "Long Road To Ruin" by Foo Fighters

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Last Chapter: _Before anyone could react, she drew her gun and trained it on the messenger. Her eyes flashed as she moved around the desk towards him, never taking her eyes off either man. _

"_Where is the money?" She hissed._

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Chapter 30: Numb

_Whack!_

The sound of metal hitting flesh broken the tense silence as Andy pistol-whipped the man across the face. The terrified man crumpled to the ground. She crouched down beside him, pressing the muzzle of the gun to his head.

"I will give you one more chance to tell us where you put the money. If you don't…" She trailed off. The threat was clear. Blanchard started to move forward, but Alex whipped out his gun and flicked off the safety.

"Don't move." Alex growled. Blanchard slowly raised his hands in surrender. Meanwhile, Andy reached into her boot and whipped out her knife. The man's eyes widened in terror and she began paying with the knife. She smiled at him coldly.

"What will it be my friend?" She asked smoothly.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you where it is! Just don't kill me!" The man said quickly. Blanchard's face turned red with rage.

"Don't tell them!" He hissed. "They'll just…" But he was cut off when Andy's knife landed point first in the floor millimeters away from his foot.

"Next time I won't miss." She hissed, eyes blazing with anger. She then turned back to the unfortunate man on the floor in front of her.

"Now, you were saying?" She asked sweetly. The terror on the man's face had increase ten-fold.

"It's…it's in a s…secret safe in the k…kitchen." He stammered.

"See, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" She purred. "Now be a good boy and show me where it is and I might make your death a little less painful." With that she hauled the unfortunate man up by the front of his shirt and turned him around.

"Now get moving!" She hissed, digging her gun into his back right between his shoulder blades. The terrified man led her into the kitchen. As they entered, the old cook turned around, opening her mouth as if to protest their presence in her kitchen. But she immediately shut it when she saw Andy holding the messenger at gunpoint.

"Stand over there and don't move." Andy ordered, pointing to the door. The woman hurriedly did what she was told. She was standing such that Andy could keep an eye on her the entire time. With trembling hands, the man opened the safe that was hidden behind an old painting. Andy snatched the small, black bag out of the safe and opened it. Sure enough, it contained the rest of the money. Closing the bag, she slung it over her shoulder and turned to the terrified man beside her and the cook standing near the door.

"Move it." She hissed, prodding him in the direction of the study. "And you," she said, pointing towards the woman. "Get a move on." The two hostages walked in front of her. When they reached the study again, they found both Alex and Blanchard where they had left them. Andy closed the door behind them. Then, with absolutely no warning, Andy fired off two shots. The gun had a silencer on it, so the shots made barely any sound. One bullet went into the messenger, while the other went into the old woman. Both fell dead at her feet. Alex flinched slightly. Andy's face was an emotionless mask as she stepped calmly over the bodies, avoiding the blood that was beginning to pool around them.

"Shoot him." She ordered Alex. Alex's eyes widened slightly.

"But…" He started to protest. But the cold look in Andy's eyes told him he didn't have a choice.

"Do it." She hissed. Alex looked back at Blanchard. Panic and terror were evident in the man's eyes. Alex took a deep, shuddering breath. A scene so similar to this one flashed through his mind. Only, instead of Blanchard standing in front of him, it was Mrs. Jones.

"_I can't quite see you as an assassin Alex." _Mrs. Jones's words echoed through his head. He remembered clearly that day almost three years ago when Scorpia had sent him to kill Mrs. Jones. He had almost succeeded too. He remembered the bulletproof glass that he hadn't seen until it was too late. He remembered the bullet that would have missed anyway. He hadn't had the guts to do it then. _No. It doesn't take guts to kill a man in cold blood. It takes…callousness._ He thought. Did he really have it in him?

_It's not cruel or heartless to kill this man. _He thought harshly._ It's survival. If I don't, he'll give us up. _Yes. He decided. He could do it…for survival.

He pulled the trigger. Blanchard fell to the floor, a neat round hole between his eyes. Crimson blood trickled down his face, slowly staining the rug beneath him. His eyes were still wide open, a look of terror forever plastered on his face. It was a sight that would haunt Alex for the rest of his life.

Alex was jerked out of his thoughts by Andy's voice.

"We need to get out of here." She said. Alex nodded silently. "Stay right here. I'm going to get us both bags and some extra equipment from Blanchard's storage facility." She said, tossing the bag of money to him. Alex numbly caught it. With that, Andy disappeared into the secret tunnel that led to Blanchard's underground storage facility.

Alex still stood frozen in the spot, staring at Blanchard's body. He never thought he would kill a man in cold blood. The logical part of his brain told he him that he should feel something; remorse, sadness, or horror. But he felt none of those things. He felt numb. He felt empty. He felt nothing. None of the logical emotions were overtaking him now. It was like he had lost his ability to feel.

Even when he closed his eyes to block out the sight before him, he still saw the look on Blanchard's face. He could see the neat, round hole centered between pale eyes frozen forever in a look of horror and fear. It was the look in those eyes that would haunt him forever.

Alex was rudely jerked from his thoughts as Andy came up behind him.

"Alex." Alex jumped slightly, turning around to face her. "Here," She said, swapping the bag containing the money for bag she had brought up with her. "There are weapons and clothes for you in there as well as some other supplies. Change into those clothes and dump all the other stuff we got earlier. It's traceable now."

"What about them?" Alex asked, nodding towards the bodies at their feet, just managing to keep the tremor out of his voice.

"We have to burn the place. They can be linked to us now." She said calmly.

"Won't they know it was us though?" He asked.

"Yes. There is no helping that. But it will keep them busy, hopefully distracting them long enough for us to get safely away." She replied.

"You planned this." He said softly, his voice on the verge of accusing. She looked him in the eyes for a long moment, as if trying to decide how to answer.

"Yes." She said finally. "Yes I did." Alex didn't say anything more. Andy turned and walked towards the desk. "You can change in the other room." She said. Alex hesitated momentarily before leaving to change.

When he returned, he found that Andy too had changed into new clothes and she had also done several other things. The three bodies had been dragged over to the desk. She had taken every scrap of paper she could find and thrown it on top of them and was currently dousing the enter pile with lighter fluid. Tossing the now empty bottle onto the pile, she rummaged around in the desk drawers. After a moment she found what she had been looking for, a book of matches and a cigarette.

"Ready?" She asked. Alex nodded silently. Andy took a match out of the book of matches and lit the cigarette. She had left a thin trail of lighter fluid leading away from the highly flammable pile about ten feet. Taking the lighted cigarette, she placed it in the book of matches so that in was sticking out the side a little. She then placed it right near the end of the trail of lighter fluid. Seeing the question in Alex's eyes, she explained.

"When the cigarette burns down to the book of matches it will produce a sudden burst of flames which will ignite the trail of lighter fluid and set the whole thing on fire." She explained.

"How long do we have?" Asked Alex worriedly.

"At least fifteen minutes." Replied Andy confidently. "We should be well away by then." Alex nodded silently.

"Let's go then." He said eager to be away from this place. The two teens gathered their things and slipped out the back door, leaving the lit cigarette to do its work.

Andy led him through the winding back streets of London. They avoided main roads as much as possible. Fifteen minutes later found them in one of the more rundown parts of London. The streets were narrow and the sidewalks were cracked and dirty. Over-flowing trash bins and piles of bulging trash bags lined the streets and alleyways. Homeless people littered the sidewalks. Most of the buildings had boarded up or broken windows. Graffiti covered almost every square inch of wall space. Street lamps lined the streets, although over half of them were broken.

Without warning, Andy swerved down an alleyway that ran along side what looked like a hotel. The front doors were glass. One of the panes was covered in cardboard where the glass had been broken but never fixed. The faded name on the sign out front was partially covered in graffiti, though Alex thought the name looked foreign.

Andy led him down the alleyway, stopping at a metal door set into the wall. It looked like some kind of service entrance. She opened a concealed panel beside the door, revealing an old key pad. She rapidly punched in the numbers. There was a click as the code was excepted. She recovered the pad and opened the door, leading him in. They found themselves in a narrow hallway. The floor was chipped, green linoleum and the walls were a stark white.

"This was the Black Circle's London safe house." She said, answering Alex's unspoken question. "It's abandoned now, but it should still be secure." By this point they had reached the main lobby. The only furniture was a rustic looking reception desk that, like the rest of the place, had seen better days. There was no one behind the desk. Andy led the way towards the wide staircase set off to the side.

She led him up two floors to another wide hallway. Faded red carpet ran the length of the hall. The paint on the walls was cracked and peeling and looked like it had at one time been white. Bare light bulbs hung from the ceiling where golden chandeliers once hung. A few old paintings hung crookedly on the walls, most of them so damaged by water that you almost couldn't tell what the picture was supposed to be. A thick layer of dust and grime covered everything. Over all, it had the look of something that had once been a five star hotel but was now almost totally abandoned. She led him to a room half way down the hallway. Opening the door, she let them in.

"It's not much." She said. "But it's our only option for the time being." Alex shrugged.

"As long as it's secure." Andy walked across the room and pulled the tattered blue curtains across the window before flipping on the lights. The only furniture was a battered old couch, an old TV and a small coffee table. There was a door to the left that lead to a small kitchen and two doors to the right, one leading to a closet and the other to a sparsely furnished bedroom.

"You can have the bedroom, I'll take the couch." She said, dropping her bag onto the couch. Alex looked like he was about to protest, but Andy interrupted him. "And don't you dare go all 'ladies first' on me. Go all noble on me and I will kick your ass." Seeing that she wasn't about to change her mind, Alex went and tossed his things onto the bed in the bedroom. He collapsed back onto the bed, suddenly realizing how tired he was. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to drift off into a light sleep.

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**A/N: I know that wasn't one of my best chapters, but it will have to do. The next chapter will deal with K unit. There is some more action coming up soon, I promise. **

**INPORTANT ANOUNCMENT:** **The poll on my profile for this story will close on Sunday (November 8). The poll will help decide the fate of this story. The tally is very close to a tie. Your vote could make all the difference. Please go to my profile and vote before it's too late!**


	32. What Have We Done?

A/N: I know some of you might find this chapter boring, but that's okay. I thought it would be good if I included how the members of K Unit feel about the whole situation.

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Chapter 31: What Have We Done?

Alex Rider, it was a name Wolf hadn't heard for almost two years. He had never really expected to see the boy ever again. In truth, he had hoped he wouldn't, because seeing him would mean that Alex was still working for MI6. Wolf had secretly hoped that Alex had gotten away from this life. He had hoped that the boy wouldn't stay and get himself killed. But clearly that had been too much to hope for. Now here he was, chasing down the boy who was the unorthodox fifth member of K unit to bring him back under MI6's control. Their job was to hunt him down and bring him in. If they couldn't safely do that…Wolf shuddered at the thought…they were to kill him.

Secretly Wolf wondered if he could really pull the trigger. There was a time when he wouldn't have hesitated to say yes, but now…he didn't know. Could he really kill Cub? Could he really bring himself to betray the kid, and the team, and shoot him? Deep inside, as much as he hated to admit it, Wolf knew that the answer was no. He would never be able to shoot Cub. Wolf also knew that he would never be able to bring himself to bring Cub in alive either. He had hoped that the kid had escaped this life, and he knew that he would never forgive himself if he were the one who prevented him from doing just that. All he could do was hope and pray that Cub was smart enough not to get caught.

Wolf thought back to Brecon Beacons. Cub had been different then. He had been more trusting, more innocent. But MI6 had taken all that away from him. They had used him, turned him into a weapon. He felt a sense of guilt as he thought about the boy. In a sense, they had helped MI6. They were the ones who had trained him, helped make him what he was now.

_This is what they get for using him. _He thought. _They made him what he is. Now they have to face the consequences. _

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Ben Daniels stared at the photo clipped to the file before him. The face that stared back at him was one that he had thought he would never see again. The cold, brown eyes that stared back at him sent a shiver down his spine, though he would never admit it. They were eyes that had seen way too much, things that most adults wouldn't even dream of. But the face in the photo was not of an adult; it was of a teenager, and not just any teenager. The photo was of Alex Rider.

But it wasn't the same Alex Rider he had known. No, the boy had changed. He looked colder, more distant. In pained Ben to think that they had helped make him that way. Anger welled up inside him. How could MI6 do this to the boy? He was only a child. They had used him and abused him. Of all the members of K unit, Ben knew him the best. He had worked along side him and seen what he could do. But now, he realized, he had not fully comprehended what Alex had become.

_They made him into this. _He thought bitterly. _They destroyed him…and now look what's happened._

Ben never thought that the next time he would see Alex would be like this. He had never thought that they would be on different sides of the line, but they were. Alex had gone rogue and the job fell on K unit to bring him back or…Ben shuddered at their other option. Blunt had made it very clear that they could not afford to have Alex running loose, not after all that had happened. They had specific orders that, if they could not safely bring him in, they were to eliminate him. Ben hoped that it would never come to that. He didn't think he could bring himself to pull the trigger. Their only option was to find him and bring him in. He knew all too well what would happen to the boy.

A little voice in the back of his head kept calling him a traitor. Alex was the fifth member of K Unit and now they were the very ones that had been sent to track him down, and if need be, kill him. For the first time in his entire career, Ben hoped that they would fail their mission. He knew the consequences of failure would be severe, but for once he didn't care.

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Snake sat on the couch, reading through the file on his lap. The name on the file was Alex Rider. Below that it said 'Level 4 Clearance'. He grimaced. He and his teammates only had Level 2 clearance. Vaguely he wandered what it could contain that was so top secret.

There wasn't much there really, just a little bit of personal information and mission reports. The problem was, over half of the text in the mission reports was blacked out. It was impossible to make any sense of the reports when he could only read barely a quarter of what was written there. The little bit he could read made him even more curious about Cub. The kid was the unorthodox fifth member of their unit. Snake had only ever seen the kid at Brecon Beacons and briefly on a mission a few months later. He didn't really know him that well. He shivered as he looked at the boy in the photo before him. There was something different about him now. His face bore the lines of someone from an older generation. He was smiling in the photo, but Snake could see that it was forced. The smile didn't reach his dark, haunted eyes.

A small part of him wandered if it wasn't partially their fault. They were the ones who had trained him. They had helped make him what he was now. But who was he, really? He certainly wasn't the same boy who had come to Brecon Beacons. Regret welled up inside him.

_Dear lord, what have we done?_ He thought.

It pained the Scotsman to think about what they had to do. Their job was to bring him in, or, failing that, eliminate him. The problem was he didn't think he could do it. He knew he would never be able to pull the trigger and end it, and he had a feeling that his teammates wouldn't be able to either. He didn't think even Wolf would be able to do it. He knew that, no matter what, his team wouldn't be able to complete this mission. Even if it cost them their careers, he didn't think any of them could bring themselves to betray the kid like that.

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Eagle sat on the other end of the couch from Snake. He was reading the same file everyone else was. He looked at the photo clipped to the front. He had seen that same look in the eyes of so many soldiers who came back from war. Many times he had looked into a grown man's eyes and seen that look of cold, emptiness. But never in his life had he thought he would see that look in the eyes of a child. He had seen many horrors himself during his time in SAS. He had seen so many things that still gave him nightmares and he was a grown man, a hardened soldier. He couldn't bear to think what seeing those things would have done to a child. He knew all too well the shock and horror of being forced to kill a man. He remembered the first time he had killed someone, how the man's face had forever been ingrained in his memory. The sight of the man's dead eyes staring back at him had haunted his dreams for weeks. He would have never wished that experience on one so young.

It made him angry to think that anyone would knowingly force that onto a child. It pained him to think that they had been partially responsible. After all, they had trained him, helped turn him into what he was now. He had never fully realized until now how much MI6 had used him. They had taken away his childhood and turned him into a weapon. Now, that very weapon that they had used so effectively against terrorists, had turned against them.

Eagle knew that Fox had worked with the kid several years back. He hadn't talked much about it, but from the little bit he had said, Alex was one of the best. He dreaded to think what would happen now that he had gone rouge. He had a feeling that bringing him in would turn out to be easier said than done. Somehow he didn't think they would be able to catch him that easily.

In truth, Eagle almost hoped that was the case. He didn't think he could bring himself to bring the kid in, much less kill him. MI6 had pushed him too far. Now it was time for them to pay the price. They deserved everything they got.

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**A/N: Well, there you have it. I know, it was short. But I thought it would be interesting to look at how K unit felt about this whole thing. Also, the poll on my profile has officially been closed for voting. The results are in. The final tally was 8 to 7 in favor of them just staying friends or partners. I am sorry for all of you who wanted them to become a couple. There might be a smidgen of romance between them, but nothing that will last very long. Thank you to all of you who voted! **


	33. Regrets

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I'm really trying to update more often…but that's not working out too well. So please work with me here. Also, ****I NEED MORE VOTERS**** for my poll that I put up on my profile. Once again, the outcome could change the entire story. Right now the total tally for voters is 3. Thank you to the few people who took the time to vote. I don't know who you are, but THANK YOU. As for the rest of you, time is running out. The poll will close once get another couple of chapters up. So take this chance and VOTE!!!!**

**Xamyjayne – I'm glad you like. As far as K unit going rogue with Alex and Andy…that's up to you readers. I have a poll up on my profile about that. So, if you haven't already, (and this applies to the rest of the readers as well) please go to my profile and vote!**

**PercyJacksonFan4Ever – Sorry it took so long.**

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Chapter 32: Regrets

Alex awoke to the smell of coffee. Confused, he sat up and looked around. For a moment, he forgot where he was, but then the events of the past two days came crashing back to him. He groaned and flopped back onto the bed. What had seemed like a good idea at the time was quickly turning into a nightmare.

_This is what you've always wanted. _He thought. _Now you've got it and there's no turning back. _With a twinge of regret, he remembered his last conversation with Jack and how she had broke down into tears. Jack had never cried, until now. She had loved him like a little brother. Hell, she had practically raised him since she had come to work for Ian. She had stuck with him through thick and thin. She had been the one person he had trusted completely, but now she was gone from his life. For her own sake, he could never see her again. She had already suffered so much because of him. He didn't want to make her suffer any more.

_But she is suffering. He thought. She loved you and now you've up and abandoned her. And for what? _But the answer to that question was simple. Revenge. He had always wanted to get revenge on MI6 for using him like they had. But to do so, he had been forced to leave the one person he loved behind. He silently cursed MI6. He was out from under their hold, but they were still screwing up his life. He hoped that they would leave Jack alone. He hoped that she would be able to move on and live a normal life. But in his heart, he knew that her life would never be completely normal. He had dragged her into this world, and once you're in, there's no going back. All he could do was hope.

Reluctantly, he pulled himself from his thoughts. He wasn't doing anyone any good by sitting here and brooding. Wishing wouldn't do anyone any good either. Sighing, he stood up. He was still dressed in his clothes from the night before. Quickly, he changed and made his way out of the room.

Alex found Andy sitting on the coach nursing a cup of coffee and watching the news.

"You must be American." he stated blandly.

"And why do you say that Rider?" she asked, never taking her eyes off the screen.

"Only Americans drink coffee."

"I developed a taste for it on a job in Miami." she answered simply. Alex just shook his head. He would never understand how people drank that stuff.

"Anything on the news about yesterday?" he asked, changing the subject.

"It's all over the news. They're calling it an "electrical fire"." Alex watched as footage played across the screen. It showed Blanchard's house, or what used to be Blanchard's house. Police and firemen were everywhere. The fire had completely gutted the building.

"You planned this all, didn't you?" he asked softly. Andy didn't respond immediately. He thought she hadn't heard. But just as he was about to repeat himself, Andy spoke.

"I did not plan on us getting caught. But yes, I knew this was going to happen with Blanchard."

"Why?" he asked simply.

"I knew he would try to double cross us, but he was my last contact here in London. If we would not have killed him, he would have gone to the authorities and we can't afford to have that happen." she said.

"So he was a loose end." It wasn't a question, but Andy answered anyway.

"Yes. He was." she said bluntly.

"What about the other two?"

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time." she said emotionlessly.

"Is this what happens to everyone who works with you?" Alex asked.

"Most of them. But do not worry. If you don't betray me, I won't kill you."

"I'm flattered." Alex responded sarcastically.

"I do not kill for no reason Alex." she said.

"I thought you are an assassin." he retorted.

"Assassination is a very messy business. I do it only when I need money or information and even then I try to make sure the body count is as minimal as possible."

"So that's supposed to justify it?"

"I never said that."

"So what are you saying?"

"I do what I do to survive."

"You kill innocent people."

"And what about all of the people you have killed Alex?" he flinched.

"They weren't innocent. Besides, I didn't try to with most of them."

"But you still did."

"They were evil."

"So are we by most people's standards."

"Are you always so difficult?" he asked, frustrated.

"I could always shoot you, then you wouldn't have to put up with me." she replied blandly. Alex shook his head and turned, walking towards the kitchen.

"There's microwave meals in the cupboard." Andy called after him.

Alex found several different kinds of microwave meals in the cupboard as well as canned fruit and canned soup. He selected one of the microwave meals that had some kind of chicken in it. He took the container and, following the instruction on the side, opened it and put it in the microwave that hung above the stove.

The microwave dinged several minutes later, telling him that his food was done. Pulling it out, he searched for a fork, finally finding them in one of the drawers. Grabbing a fork, he sat down at the table and ate his meal.

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K unit was gathered around the table in the small kitchen in the MI6 safe house where they were staying. A large map of London took up most of the space while the rest of the space was taken up by various files and four mugs of coffee.

"The hotel where we found them was here, MI6 HQ is here, and the building where they held them is here." Fox said, using a red marker to circle all three locations. "These are the places they will want to stay away from."

"We should probably see if we can get agents posted at Cub's house in Chelsea to see if he shows up." Snake said, pointing to the location on the map. Fox shook his head.

"That's the first thing MI6 did when they found out he had gone rouge. Besides, he wouldn't risk it. He's too good for that."

"How good is he, really?" asked Wolf.

"He's one of the best." answered Fox, not taking his eyes off the map. "They will want to avoid places that have a lot of security cameras. But they'll try and go where there's a lot of people, somewhere where they won't stand out."

"Is MI6 running the footage of any security cameras in the area where they disappeared?" asked Eagle. Fox nodded. The shrill ring of Wolf's phone broke the silence. Wolf glared at the offending object as he answered it.

"Hello?" his frown deepened as he listened to the voice on the other end. "What?...Where?... How long ago?...Are you sure?...How many?...Yes, yes. I will…E-mail the pictures to us." With that, he hung up. A tense silence reigned in the small kitchen. Wolf sighed.

"We have a problem." he stated bluntly.

"What kind of problem?" asked Fox. Dread shown clearly on all of their faces.

"There was a fire last night seven miles from where they were last seen." he said.

"How many dead?" asked Fox grimly.

"Three. Though the bodies burned beyond recognition. They were able to determine that there were two males and a female. They think one of the males was the owner of the house, one Kevin Blanchard. They also think the female was the housekeeper who worked there. They have not been able to identify the third body."

"They think Cub and his partner did this?" asked Snake incredulously. Wolf nodded.

"When they were examining the wreckage, they found a secret tunnel that led to a store room under the house. The room was filled with weapons, electronics, drugs, you name it."

"So Blanchard was an arms dealer, a drug dealer, and a smuggler. I think it would be safe to say that this is exactly the kind of person someone running from the law would go to." said Fox.

"But why kill them?" asked Snake.

"Maybe he tried to double cross them." suggested Eagle.

"I can't see Cub killing the man, not to mention two innocent people." said Wolf.

"First off, we don't know for sure that the other two were innocent." supplied Snake. The three soldiers turned to Fox.

"You know him best. What do you think?" asked Wolf.

"I think Cub would do what he had to to survive." said Fox quietly. Everyone could see that Fox was troubled.

"But he's just a kid. He wouldn't kill someone." said Eagle. Fox shook his head sadly.

"He may be a kid, but he's been under MI6's control for two years. He's saved the world more than a dozen times. But he's also seen things most adults would never even dream of."

"Like what?" asked Snake.

"I don't know the details of his other missions, but I know what the mission we did together was like. Let's just say, it was bad." Said Fox.

"How bad?" asked Wolf. Fox didn't meet his teammates eyes.

"It was one of the worst missions I've ever done. And from what I take from it, that was a normal mission for him." he said. Everyone was silent for a moment.

"I can't believe anyone would do that to a child." whispered Eagle.

"MI6 is of the philosophy that end justifies the means. If sending a teenager to his death time and time again is what it takes to bring down some of the world's biggest criminals, then they wouldn't hesitate to do so." Fox said.

"Couldn't he just quit?" asked Eagle. Fox shook his head.

"No one can ever really leave this life. Alex has made many powerful enemies over the years. He's in far too deep to back out now."

"I can't see him as a traitor though." said Wolf.

"He's not the same Cub we knew at Brecon Beacons. He's changed…a lot." Replied Fox sadly.

"You don't seem surprised that he went rouge." pointed out Snake. Fox sighed.

"I figured it was bound to happen again." Wolf looked shocked.

"Wait, you mean he's done this before?" he asked. Fox winced.

"Last time they captured him when he tried to kill Mrs. Jones and gave him a second chance. To tell you the truth, he probably only agreed to come back to escaping being thrown in prison." the soldiers sat there in stunned silence for a few minutes, trying to wrap their heads around the fact that the fifteen-year-old, unorthodox member of their unit was a killer and a traitor.

"I can't believe Cub would do something like that." said Eagle softly.

"I didn't either at first." said Fox. His fellow unit members could see the pain that lingered in his eyes. "But I've seen since some of what he can do."

"Like what?" asked Snake.

"Let's just say, the odds of us catching him are slim to none and he's got nothing to lose now, which makes him even more dangerous." Fox replied. Silence reigned in the small kitchen for several moments. It was Wolf who finally broke it.

"What are we sitting here for? We have work to do." he growled.

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**A/N: Well, there you have it. I would love it if I got a few more reviews for this chapter (hint, hint) ;) Thanks for reading!**


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